The West's New Hope
by organanation
Summary: Han Solo's ranch falls into turmoil as his cattle are rustled and the dreaded Empire Gang becomes suspect. Leia Organa faces an uncertain future as she agrees to travel hundreds of miles to marry a man she's never met. Ben Kenobi and Luke Skywalker must make the decision to stay hidden on Falcon Ranch or to return to life of law and order as marshals. A New Hope meets the Old West.
1. The Paper that Made a Man

_AN: Surprise! I wrote "a short thing" that really got away from me and here we are._ _There are plotholes._ _There are melodramatic moments._ _There are cliches._  
 _I wrote this for funzies-please don't take it too seriously. Pairs nicely with the Magnificent 7 soundtrack, or any other western music you happen to fancy.  
_

 _A BIG THANK YOU to justinegraham and alderaanallday for beta-reading this! AND AND EXTRA HUGE MEGABIG THANK YOU to graciecatfamilyband aka imnothere24 for convincing me to write this out in the first place, for listening to headcanons, reading through half-done sections back when this just had a cow emoji as a title, providing suggestions to make it better, and for giving me the support and encouragement of a hundred good men while I pushed through this! I HEART YOU GIRL._

 **The West's New Hope  
**

 ** _A Spaghetti Western by Organanation (with lots of help from graciecatfamilyband)_**

 **Chapter One**

 **The Paper That Made A Man**

Han Solo walked out of the land office, beaming at the piece of paper in his hands. Things hadn't been going right for him for a while now, but that was all going to change. He had the deed to a 200-acre ranch in his hand. He'd been saving every nickel he could for as long as he could remember, and now… _land._ His own land.

Chewie, his oldest friend and now his cosigner, gave him a nudge out onto the raised walkway.

"Come on, Han. We gotta go pay Jabba, and we can have a drink to celebrate while we're there." A massive hand on his shoulder pushed Han toward the saloon.

The barroom was busy even though it was the middle of the afternoon. Chewie got them each a glass, and they toasted to that little piece of paper that made Han a man. A real, successful, land-owning, cattle-ranching _man_.

"Before we know it, you'll have a bunkhouse full of ranch hands and a cabin full of kids," Chewie teased.

"Woah, there, pal. Ranch hands, I can handle. But a cabin full of kids? Need a wife for that, and I don't plan on findin' one a' those anytime soon," Han retorted.

"Sure. We can talk about it again after you're sick of eatin' bachelor cooking and wearing half-clean clothes with holes in 'em, and livin' in a cabin dirtier n'your barn," Chewie returned.

"Where am I gonna find a woman to marry in this town? They're either way too young or already married."

"You could write for one back East. I hear there's lotsa gals who are lookin' for husbands back East."

"The last thing I need is some frilly Eastern woman clutterin' up my ranch."

"Just a suggestion."

"I thought we were celebrating," Han countered. "I don't wanna think about that stuff right now; I just wanna finish this drink and get out to my land."

"Someone's comin' towards us," Chewie said, lowering his voice and looking pointedly toward two men making their way purposefully across the barroom. The pair dropped down into the vacant chairs on the other side of the table, and the older of the two men spoke up.

"You are Han Solo, the new owner of Jabba's ranchland?"

"News travels fast. Yeah, I'm Han Solo. What's it to you?"

"My name is Ben Kenobi. This is Luke Skywalker. We're looking for work."

"You ever worked on a ranch before?" Han asked.

"Yes, in Texas," the man replied.

"Can't pay much," Han warned.

"We need only food and a place to bed down—for us and our horses—and no questions asked," Ben assured cryptically. The young man still hadn't spoken, and Han wasn't sure how he felt about the whole situation. "There may come a time when we have to leave suddenly. I can't guarantee more than a few days warning."

Something still felt off, but he couldn't pass up the offer of free labor.

"There is one more thing," Ben added. ' _Course there was_. "We have one more man. He's called CP, and he's a bit…strange. He's waiting outside."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing," the younger man cut in. "He's from back East and he's just not that great at bein' a rancher, yet. Oh, and I have a dog, too. Rusty."

"A dog?"

"Yeah. He's a herding dog; he'll be real helpful."

"Whatever. If he hurts my cattle, though, he's gone, and you won't be far behind. You got that?" Han stated. The kid nodded. "This is Chewie, my foreman. I gotta go talk to Jabba for a minute; I'll be right out," Han said, turning to Chewie. The tall man nodded and stood, leading the others out of the crowded saloon.

"Hear you bought my land," rumbled the greasy man standing at the cash register.

"Heard right. Here's my first payment," Han said, handing the man a stack of bills. He flipped through the stack, counting mentally.

"Little thin, ain't it?"

"I still gotta buy the cattle, Jabba. But I already got a few sold to some townfolk at the end of the summer, and I'm sure I can do some decent business sellin' milk this summer if I have to, too. Don't worry. You'll have the full payment soon enough," Han promised. The saloon owner looked Han up and down.

"I better, or that land reverts to me."

"What are you gonna do with a fallin' down ranch, Jabba? I'll have the money to you by the end of the season."

"With interest." It wasn't a question. Han's teeth ground together.

"You'll get it." Han strode from the crowded barroom.

 _AN: Five more chapters in today's posting-gitalong, lil' doggies (after a quick stop by the review box...)_


	2. Mrs Mothma's Home for Women and Girls

**Chapter 2**

 **Mrs. Mothma's Home for Women and Girls**

Leia Organa looked around the empty parlor.

"Miss Organa, it's time," the man called from the entry way.

"Coming," she replied, closing the door. She picked up her carpet bag by the door and followed the man out of the house. Locking the door for the final time, she felt the final link to her childhood snapping in two. She placed the key in the man's hand and went to the waiting Hansom cab. The driver helped her in, and then secured the door behind her. She took one final, fond look at the house, and turned her face forward as the carriage lurched.

Her parents had died suddenly the year before, just after her 18th birthday. The Organas had been quite wealthy, but her parents had left medical bills that needed to be paid, and Leia could rarely find work. The money had slowly dwindled, and her situation now dictated that she find a more affordable place to live while looking for other options. She had no more family left in New York, no family left in America. A finishing school education didn't prepare you for a career, and it wasn't like women could have careers, either. Her only option was finding a husband.

That idea wasn't the most pleasing, either. Her mother had loved being a wife and a matron of high society, but Leia had always dreamed of… something else. Breha had told her stories of her journey to America as a young woman, of her first few months living in the tenements with seven other girls, trying to find work and finally getting a job in the kitchen of the upstanding Organa family, of falling in love with their eldest son… Leia longed for an adventure like her mother's. She wanted to travel across oceans and explore new places, even find true love one day—as long as that love didn't come with the added caveat of maintaining a rank on the Social Register.

"Here we are, Miss," the driver interrupted her thoughts. Leia took his hand as he helped her down from the carriage. She clutched her carpet bag to her chest, looking up at the large, quaint home. A little sign on the gate read ' _Mrs. Mothma's Boarding House for Women and Girls_.'

 _AN: Onward ho!_


	3. A Bigger Reward

**Chapter 3**

 **A Reward Bigger than You Could Ever Imagine**

There was a barn-raising at the Antilles' a few months after Han bought his ranch. Han was secretly pleased that he'd been invited-it meant that he was finally a rancher in every right.

His horse was the only one that wasn't hitched to a wagon, but Han didn't pay any mind. He tied Millennium to the fence and started toward the stack of lumber where the other ranchers were milling around, waiting for the barn-raising to start.

"Howdy, Solo. Glad you could make it," Antilles greeted, shaking Han's hand. "Womenfolk are fixin' up dinner over in the shade, and I think they're plannin' on some quilting, too. You can send your lady on over there."

"Naw, I ain't married. Just me today," Han explained.

"Right, right, I knew one of you young bucks was tryin' to go it alone. Just head on over there and Rieekan will get tell you what needs to be done," he directed.

Han enjoyed the change of pace from his usual day on the ranch. By the time the sun was high in the sky and the women called them in for dinner, the bones of the structure were up and they had one wall ready to raise.

The noon meal was quick, but wonderful. Han had forgotten what good food prepared by skilled hands tasted like, and he ate like he was starving. Come to think of it, maybe he _was_ starving...it wouldn't be hard, eating the weird things that CP came up with.

After dinner, the women collected all the dishes and the men leaned back, taking a few minutes to rest before getting back to work on the barn.

"So tell us, Solo. How is it, having your own land, bein' your own boss?" asked Wedge Antilles.

Han gave a broad smile. It's pretty good. Workin' my tail off right now, but I'll have things runnin' smooth by next year," he figured. Some of the men chuckled, and Han felt his pride tingle a bit.

"Sure you will," Dameron assured sarcastically. "Say, you ain't married. Who's been doin' the woman's work out there?"

"We've been trading off," Han explained.

"You got plans to find a wife?" Madine asked.

"No, sir. I ain't got time to take care of a wife," Han scoffed. That remark garnered a full-on laugh.

"Out here, wives are the ones that do the takin' care of," Antilles explained. Han raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"Don't give me that look, boy. Who's gonna be around when your ranch hands are drinkin' away their paycheck and one of your cows decides it's time to calf?" Aaron Cracken asked. Several of the men nodded.

"That's right. And who's gonna be there when things go south and you're all the way back where you started from? Your men all gonna stick around if you can't pay 'em?" Wes Janson asked.

"Who's gonna bring you water and rub your shoulders when you're diggin' a new well in the middle of a heat wave? The hired help gonna rub liniment on your back and roll you outta bed for chores come sun-up?" Kilivan said with a half smile. A few others laughed.

"And what about those cold winter nights?" Antilles ribbed. "You gonna snuggle up with your Longhorns?"

"My boys 'n I been doin' just fine without a woman this long, I figure we can manage even better when we ain't mending fences and patchin' the barn roof every other day."

"Take it from a man who's been ranching these parts pert near his whole life," Madine offered, leaning forward. "You might think your days of fixin' fences and barns are numbered, but you're wrong. There's always a million things you don't get to, a million things that get pushed on to the next day. And you might think you can handle bein' the boss and the cook and the laundry maid, but you've been at this for...what, three months now? You're gonna burn out real quick workin' like that." Han bristled.

"Trust us, son. Ranching is hard, dirty work. It ain't something you should try to do all on your own. A helpmate is the most important thing you can have." Cracken agreed. Han glanced around the group: everyone was nodding in agreement.

"Don't listen to us. Just look at Old Man Tarkin. He's been ranchin' by hisself for an awful long time. You won't find a more lonely, bitter soul if you combed this country for a season. Things were alright there for a while, but it got to be awful hard out there. He's gone through three foremans in the last five years, and can't hardly keep ranch hands on for more 'n a summer."

"Thanks for all the advice, but don't be brokenhearted if I don't rush right out and get hitched," Han deadpanned.

"Let the kid alone," Rieekan settled. "He knows better than we do what's good for him." Everyone seemed content to leave the subject for the time being, and they got back to work.

It wouldn't, however, leave Han's mind.

Wasn't _he_ the one who could best judge what he needed? Sure, maybe having a woman around was helpful for _others_ , but didn't he know his own mind better than they did?

Still, he'd only been a rancher for a few months. Hadn't he chosen to settle close to a town so that he'd have the input of older, more experienced men? Now he was here, and he wasn't going to at least take their advice into account?

Come to think of it, Han had never worked for a rancher who didn't have a wife or a sister or somebody, other than Tarkin. Han shuddered. The last thing he wanted was to end up like Tarkin.

Hammering down wooden shingles, Han worked on the new roof of the barn and stewed over the advice the men had given him.

It made sense, he supposed, what they'd said to him. In the end, Ben, Luke, and CP were just hired hands. They'd proven reliable since he'd hired them, but when the time suited them, they could move on with no consequence to themselves, leaving Han stranded high and dry. Ben had already hinted that there was some "training" that he needed to take Luke away for.

He trusted Chewie not to just pack up and leave without fair warning, but he couldn't very well count on the man forever. Chewie was more than thirty years Han's senior, and he'd been riding ranges for almost fifty years. He couldn't count on his oldest friend being around forever. Ben wasn't a young man, either. The last thing Han wanted was for either of them to keel over in the middle of the north pasture one day.

Han stood, easing the aching muscles in his back. Maybe they had a point, having a woman around to help him relax after a long day.

They'd been right about a lot of things.

Han realized he'd been running himself into the ground as it was, mending fences and mending shirts, feeding his cattle and his hands and himself. He had another payment due to Jabba coming up soon, too. Groaning inwardly, he returned to the roofing. He'd have even more work waiting for him back at the ranch to make that payment.

Damn. It was his turn to do the washing this week. Damn.

He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it wasn't from the food. Ranching was something he couldn't handle on his own. Bringing his hammer down hard on the head of a nail, Han cursed the universe for making it so that a fellow couldn't make an honest living on his own damn land without the help of a woman.

The thought mulled over in his mind the rest of the afternoon. They drove the last nail as the sun was swimming over the horizon.

Sarah Rieekan caught Han's arm as everyone was packing up to return to their ranches.

"Son, I was watchin' at dinner today. I know you're probably not eating great at your place, bein' that it's just you five menfolk, so I snatched up a few leftovers for you and wrapped 'em up." She passed him a little basket covered with a scrap of cloth.

"Thanks, Sarah. I appreciate it." The woman gave him a motherly smile. "Sarah, can I ask you somethin'?" She nodded. "Well, the men were giving me a hard time after dinner because I'm not married, because it's so hard to be without a wife on a ranch. Do you...well, do you think they're right?" he asked.

"Man wasn't meant to walk this earth all alone, Han. You can't be afraid to admit you need help. I like you a lot; I'd like to see you around for a long time to come. That ain't gonna happen if you're trying to do the job of five men _and_ a woman. Now, no one else can decide what's right for you to do, but you better not be lettin' your pride stand in the way of this," Sarah advised. "You understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Carlist came over and slipped his arm around his wife.

"Ready to get on home, Mrs. Rieekan? We got chores to see to, and Solo probably does, too."

"Good luck, son," Sarah wished Han before walking with her husband to their wagon.

It would be nice to have someone to share chores with-someone to make fresh coffee while he was in the barn at five am, someone to work alongside him in the barn in the evening.

Han untied Millennium and gave his long nose a pat. He swung up into the saddle and shifted uncomfortably as the day of being hunched over the barn roof settled into his back.

It would be nice to have someone to soothe his aching back; maybe she'd fill a hot water bottle to put on his back, and read aloud for a while before bed.

Millennium trotted briskly, ready to move after a long day of being tied up. They passed the Kilivans in their wagon on their way home. They were tucked up together on the bench, speaking softly to each other. Laughing together, they turned inward and shared a kiss before returning to their quiet conversation. Han didn't even bother trying to say hello, just pushed Millennium off to the left to give them a wide berth.

It would be nice to have _that,_ too.

A companion. Someone to talk to about the things that a fellow couldn't talk about with another fellow, like the buried desire to be read aloud to in the quiet of the evening. Someone to sit with and watch the sun go down, or to chase around the barnyard when things got dull; someone to make the days not seem so long and empty.

The next morning, Han rode into town and mailed a letter.

 _AN: [whispers...Review...Review...Review...]_


	4. The Personal Ads

**Chapter 4**

 **The Personal Ads**

Leia was bored out of her mind, and just stir-crazy enough to do something impulsive. She had a part-time job at the library, but it didn't pay well and it would soon be too cold out to walk all the way there. That was all she had to occupy her time, other than reading the books she took out after work. She was sitting in the parlor of the Boarding House, waiting for something— _anything_ —to happen, and flipping through the newspaper that had been left on the table.

She bypassed the article about the territorial disputes out West, and the one about the inventor of the sewing machine. Turning the page, Leia glanced over the spread: the personal ads. These were at least interesting.

 _A gentleman, aged 30, looks to make the acquaintance of a cultured young woman._

 _Widower with four children seeks wife and mother._

 _Woman of 50, having a small business of her own, wishes to form a relationship with a decent, religious man._

Leia didn't know why she read these. She continued absently down the list until one caught her eye.

 _Land-owning rancher of 27, able-bodied, hardworking, seeks wife. Lady must be between 18-25, able to cook and keep house, adventurous spirit. Write H. Solo._

There was a Montana Territory post-office address listed below.

 _Adventurous spirit._

"Dinner, Miss Organa." Leia jumped as Mrs. Mothma invited her into the dining room. The conversation around the table was, as always, polite and quiet, but Leia couldn't focus on it. After the meal, she slipped back into the sitting room and took the page of personal ads out of the paper before returning to her room.

 _This is crazy, Leia. You're not actually thinking about this._

 _Yes. Yes, I am. I must_. Leia knelt before her trunk and filtered through the contents until she got to the little drawstring bag at the bottom. She opened it and counted the money—all the money she had to her name.

Even with her income from the library, it would only last until winter, at best.

She looked at the personal ad again.

 _Adventurous spirit._

Leia pulled out her nice stationery and pen.

 _Dear Mr. Solo…_

 _AN: Lonely writer seeks kind words of readers for support and encouragement..._


	5. Correspondence

**Chapter 5**

 **Correspondence**

Luke looked away from the cattle as Chewie rode up.

"Didja get the supplies?" Han asked his foreman.

"Yeah. I left 'em back at the cabin. Was a letter for you at the post office," Chewie mentioned, fishing it out of his pocket.

Luke watched as Han pulled the paper out of the envelope and flipped it open, squinting to read it in the bright sunlight. Luke couldn't make out the words, but he could see that the letter was written on fine stationery in a beautiful hand.

"Is it an answer? To your ad?" Chewie probed.

"Yeah," Han replied, shoving the letter back in the envelope and tucking it into his pocket. He squinted into the sunshine, looking out over the cattle with an unreadable expression.

"Well?"

Something like unease flashed over his features. "I gotta go to the stage office tomorrow and get a ticket."

00

"Miss Organa, a letter came for you from the Montana Territories," Mrs. Mothma announced. Leia looked up, blushing. The other women at the table looked on unabashedly as Leia took the envelope.

With trembling hands, she peeled back the flap. She removed the folded paper, and something fluttered to the floor. She bent to retrieve it and flipped it over…a stagecoach ticket for Mount Eisley, Montana Territory, dated for one week away.

 _AN: One more chapter for today...when do you want the next batch of chapters? Drop me a review and let me know!_


	6. Rustlers

**Chapter 6**

 **Rustlers**

Han was roused from a dead sleep by gunshots coming from the pasture. It was probably nothing-they'd found a rattler the other day- but he wasn't going to take any chances. Chewie and Ben were watching the herd during the night, and they weren't men to shoot at shadows. Han lept out of bed and yanked his clothes on. Another shot. Somehow, he managed to jam his boots on while grabbing the shotgun from above the door. More shots. He shoved some extra shells into the case on his holster and ran out to the barn.

"What's going on?" Luke asked, hopping into the barn on one foot while tying his boot on the other foot. Rusty came in on Luke's heels, pacing nervously after his master.

"Don't know, but it can't be good," Han yelled, throwing the saddle on his horse and cinching it quickly. CP ran in a few moments later, fussing and muttering in a way only he could. Han was the first out the door, with the others close behind. As he rode out to the pasture, there were more shots than he could count.

"Rustlers!" Chewie called when Han got close. "They came in down by the river and made off with a bunch. Ben tried to go after 'em, but they winged his horse. He's down there, with what's left of 'em." Han followed his foreman over the top of a hill that should have given him a view of a full pasture of cattle-but instead showed a depressingly small herd huddled in the corner. Han felt his perfect future slipping just out of reach yet again. Luke rode up, CP on his heels.

"Luke, go down with Ben. Chewie thinks he might be hit. Get the cattle calm. CP, come with Chewie 'n me and we'll see if can chase 'em." They broke off into their groups, Luke charging down the hill to look after his mentor and the others riding after Chewie through the hole in the fence.

The prairie was lit dimly by moonlight filtered through gathering grass was trampled into mud in a wide path that was easy to follow but, as Han feared, it lead straight to the river. It was too dark to tell which way they'd gone, and any evidence that was there now would probably be gone by the time it was light out.

"Damn it," Han said, jumping off his horse and splashing into the water. "Damn it!" He kicked the water a few times, feeling his ire boil in his chest. "Ride to the east," Han directed Chewie. "I'll go west. You go back and help Ben and Luke," Han told CP, passing him the shotgun.

"Han, is that a good idea? There's a storm blowin' in, and it's fixin' to be a real gullywasher," Chewie warned, pointing into the distance where the clouds were flashing with lightning.

"We'd better do it now, then, before the trail gets washed away," Han insisted. They obeyed their boss, turning their horses in the appointed direction.

Han swung up onto his black stallion and urged him to the west, riding just along the river bank. It was too dark to look for tracks, so Han pushed Millennium to run fast, hoping to catch up with the herd of slow-moving cattle.

Han rode nearly four miles along the river, finding nothing. He directed Millennium away from the bank and rode back toward his ranch, taking a different route in hopes of finding _something_.

Blowing dirt and dust clung to his pant legs, still wet from the river, and to his sweat-dampened shirt. He hadn't put on his Stetson or a bandana in his hurry to get dressed, so the flying dust caked onto his face and into his too-long hair.

The sky opened up, and Han urged Millennium on as thunder crashed overhead. Water dripped into his eyes and he raked his hair back, knowing it would probably dry haphazardly but not caring.

The rain was just letting up when he rejoined the men, and there was a touch of daylight visible miles off beyond the thunderheads. Chewie had beat him back, and hadn't seen anything.

Ben's horse had a crude bandage on her flank where a stray bullet had grazed the skin, but the experienced rancher was certain the wound would heal quickly.

"We lost about half of the herd. We can get a better count once it's daylight," Chewie explained.

"I want to get them in the east pasture right now," Han decided. It was the closest to the cabin and the barn, and furthest from the river. Hopefully, they'd be safe there over the next few nights.

Moving the cattle was a slow process, especially since they were confused and scared. It was a muddy job, even with a smaller herd, but Han felt much better knowing the cattle were safer.

"CP, you're on guard. Two shots in the air if you run into trouble. I doubt they'll come back during daylight," Han instructed. They checked all the gates on the way back to the cabin.

Chewie began mixing up biscuits, gravy, and coffee while Han gave the horses a brisk rubdown and a few pitchforks full of hay.

"I want to know exactly what happened," Han demanded.

"It was real quick, real quiet. There was something makin' noise at the other end of the pasture, so Ben and I rode to check on it. Wasn't nothin'. Ben says it was a diversion, 'cause the next time we turned around, we noticed that half the herd's standin' up down at the end. I tried to circle around but that was when one of 'em tried to get off a shot at Ben. Not sure exactly what happened, but we were all shootin' at each other and they took off with the ones they had. I think Ben got hit then, when he tried goin' after 'em. The cattle had gotten up all around me, though, and they were real restless, 'specially with the storm coming. Had to make sure they didn't stampede and hurt themselves," Chewie explained.

Luke came in and took a seat, having gone to the bunkhouse to change into dry clothes after returning from the pasture.

"Damn it," Han muttered. "I _knew_ the south pasture wasn't a good place for them. I _knew_ it and I put 'em out there anyway!"

"Beatin' yourself up about it ain't gonna do much right now, Han," Luke instructed. Ben filed in and sat down, reaching for the coffee. Han noticed blood on the older man's shirt.

"I'm sorry about your horse, Ben."

"She'll make it," Ben assured, sipping the strong black brew.

"After breakfast, you two can get some sleep. CP's got the herd, the kid 'n I will start looking things over," Han said, grabbing a biscuit hot from the pan.

"You can't work in the south pasture this morning. Wash up 'n change. You need to get into town," Chewie grumbled, pulling the biscuit from Han's hand.

"What for?" Han growled back, grabbing the roll back from Chewie and shoving half of it into his mouth.

" _She_ comes in this morning on the 9 o'clock stage," he reminded. Han stared at him with a blank look for a few moments. She? _She. Damn._

Han put the rest of the biscuit in his mouth and reached for his hat.

"At least wash your hands!" Chewie called after Han. His reply was muffled by biscuit. Luke and Ben looked out the open door after their boss.

"That's not a very good way to start a marriage," Luke mumbled, turning back to his plateful of sausage gravy and biscuits. They all glanced out the door again as the buckboard rattled past at breakneck speed, pulled by Millennium.

"Nope," Chewie agreed.

"I wouldn't blame her if she turned right around and got back on the stage," Ben added.

 _AN: Thanks again to my lovely betas, to imnothere24/GCFB, and to all of you fine folks who've made it this far without clicking out! You're my fave!_

 _The rest is all done and I am thinking maybe Monday or Tuesday for the next batch of chapters? Sound good? The rest of the chapters, on the whole, are much longer than these._

 _As always, I'm around on tumblr and on here if you have any questions/observations/comments/discussions! See you soon for ~the meeting~_


	7. Mount Eisley, Alliance County

_AN: Thank you to everyone who's favorited, followed, and reviewed! I am going to make work this afternoon of responding to each of you! To the guest reviews that I can't personally reply to, know that I appreciate all of your comments!_

 **Chapter 7**

 **Mount Eisley, Alliance County**

Leia looked around the dusty main street of Mount Eisley. She lifted the hem of her navy traveling dress out of the dirt and stepped gingerly over the muck. Her back ached from spending nearly a month rattling around in uncomfortable stagecoaches and sleeping in lumpy hotel beds.

"Howdy, ma'am. What's a lady like you doin' in a place like this?" Leia glanced up. A man in storekeeper's clothes was holding out his hand to help her up the steps onto the walkway. She held her reticule carefully in one hand.

"I'm waiting for someone," she responded in a neutral tone, politely taking his proffered hand as she ascended the steps.

"I know just about everybody in town. Who might you be lookin' for?"

"Han Solo." It was the first time Leia'd ever said the name aloud, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Hm, hm. Solo—he's a character," the man chuckled. Leia's expression must have changed, because the man immediately became apologetic. "Not in exactly a bad way, Miss…he's just…well, he's uh…there he is now." Leia followed the man's direction. A black horse was racing down the street, a sorry-looking buckboard clamoring along behind it. Feet braced against the dashboard, a disheveled man who could have been anywhere from twenty to fifty-five held the reigns in strong, confident hands. He looked suntanned and work-roughened, and like he hadn't slept or bathed in a week.

Leia's stomach churned as he slowed the horse to a quick stop in front of the hotel and hopped down from the buckboard. She watched as her intended pumped water into the trough for his horse, and then stuck a hand under the stream and scrubbed it across a jawline that was covered in stubble. He lifted his hat a few inches and ran a damp hand through his hair. From this distance, Leia could see that it was dusty brown and a little shaggy. The man briskly rubbed his hands in the water for a moment, wiping them dry on his pantlegs. She didn't miss the holster slung around his hips. He adjusted his hat and looked around the busy street.

She felt her heart stop as his eyes finally fell on her. He gave a casual glance in both directions as he crossed the street toward the General Store.

"You Miss Organa?" he asked, stepping up onto the walkway. She clutched her reticule closely to her chest, winding the strings between both hands.

"Indeed."

"Han Solo. Let's grab your trunk and get back to the ranch." Without another word, he turned to where the shotgun rider was tossing parcels down onto the ground. That was it? Not a 'hello' or a 'how was the trip?'

"Thank you for your help, sir," Leia stated politely to the storekeeper before following Solo into the street.


	8. Miss Leia Organa

_AN: Thank you to everyone who's favorited, followed, and reviewed! I am going to make work this afternoon of responding to each of you!_

 **Chapter 8**

 **Miss Leia Organa**

Han got halfway to town before deciding that he definitely should have cleaned up. He was going in to pick up the daughter of some high-society people from back East—his blasted wife. The least he could have done was put on a clean shirt and combed his hair, but no. He had to be impetuous and moody and bitter.

The stage was already standing in the street, letting passengers disembark and unloading cargo. There were two ladies standing in the general area, waiting for their baggage. One was a tall, blonde woman with a willowy figure. She had a pleasant smile on her face and a dark brown dress on. Someone hurried toward her and they embraced like old friends. Not her.

Han tied Millennium to the hitching post and pumped out some water for the horse to drink. He rinsed the sweat off his hands, splashed some water on his face, and ran a damp hand through his hair.

The other woman was wearing a green dress and had a bonnet on covering her head. A moment later, she was joined by a man carrying a carpet bag. She linked her arm with his and they set off in the direction of the hotel.

Did she decide not to come? Was she held up somewhere? Han scanned the busy thoroughfare once more, looking for a figure that didn't belong—and there she was.

Standing in front of the general store, talking to Jan Dodonna. She was dressed in the fanciest dark blue dress he'd ever seen. There was some kind of fancy bonnet on her head that didn't hide her face, skin whiter than milk straight from the cow and hair the color of strong black coffee. A little drawstring purse hung from her clenched hands. There was no doubt in his mind that it was her: Leia Organa.

 _This was the worst idea in the world._

Everything about the way the woman held herself told him she was way too good to be his little wife out there on the ranch. She was meant to be a high society lady, serving tea and doing cute little sewing projects and whatever else those women did. She wasn't supposed to be darning socks, feeding ranch hands, and helping him birth cattle at three in the morning.

She was even more beautiful up close. Dark eyes, a pert nose, full red lips. He climbed the few stairs up to the raised sidewalk and realized how _tiny_ she was—the top of her head was barely even with his shoulder.

"You Miss Organa?" he asked, knowing the answer but not thinking of another way to begin the conversation.

"Indeed," she responded. Her eyes were cool and guarded, and he couldn't read her.

"Han Solo. Let's grab your trunk and get back to the ranch." He turned away and cursed himself. No smile, no greeting, he hadn't even said hello.

"Which one's yours?" he asked, gesturing to where the luggage was being unloaded.

"The black one that says ' _Organa_ ,'" she responded saucily. Well, at least she had a temper and wasn't afraid to tell him what for.

Han shouldered the trunk. It was lighter than he expected—she told him in her letter that she didn't have many personal effects, but he'd thought she'd at least have enough to fill a trunk. He dropped it into the back of the wagon, wincing when it hit the loose board and bounced, making a clattering noise. Chocolate brown eyes bored into the back of his skull; he could feel them.

He turned back to climb in. Leia was eyeing the single step up into the buckboard. Han stood back, unsure if she wanted help—or would need it, eventually. The step was almost waist-level for her…he'd have to remedy that when he had a free moment…

A determined look fell into place on her face, and she took hold of the sides of the wagon before planting her foot firmly on the step. She attempted a jump, but at the strange angle and in such a long dress, she lost her balance, and Han hurriedly stepped up behind her to keep her from falling onto the ground. He waited a moment to make sure she was stabilized before placing his hand at the small of her back and giving her a strong push upward.

"You know, next time, you could just let me help you," Han said, taking the step and pushing himself up beside her.

"You could have offered," she retorted, nervously fumbling with her skirt. Touché.

"Forgive me," he replied, moving part of her skirt out of the way before he sat on it. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin that dress.

"I am fully capable of doing that for myself, thank you very much," Leia bit.

"Maybe you'd like it back in the stage coach, huh?" Han demanded. _Yes, please. Get back on the stage coach and we can forget we were ever stupid enough to marry a person we just met._ He clicked his tongue at Millennium, urging him out into the street, towards the courthouse. "You might wanna hang on to that frilly little hat of yours. Millennium don't do that good hooked to a rig," he warned.

 _Marriage. I'm gettin' hitched right now_ , he thought to himself. He glanced down at his own dusty hands and then over at the pristine woman sitting next to him. She looked like she'd just stepped out of one of those picture ads for soap, or fancy dresses. One of her white-gloved hands was holding her bonnet on her head, and her dark eyes were wide as Millennium pulled them wildly down the busy street.

He couldn't marry her. Not like this, anyways. He pulled Millennium to a halt across from the sheriff's office. It wouldn't hurt to let Rieekan know what had happened, even though there wasn't much the man could do about it.

"You comin'?" Han asked. Trepidation was written all over her face, but she quickly hid it behind a mask of cool indifference. She looked down to the ground from her high perch in the buckboard, a bit of her earlier trepidation creeping back into sight. "Need a hand?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied briskly. He took her by the waist and lifted her slight form to the ground.

"Where is it we're going?" Leia asked, straightening her dress.

 _Not to get married, that's for sure._


	9. The Sheriff

_AN: More chapters because I am bored and have nothing to do but read and respond to reviews...which you should definitely leave so I don't have to get up and do real life productive things._

 **Chapter 9**

 **The Sheriff**

There were three men in the small jail sitting around a desk and talking loudly.

"Howdy, Solo. What can I do for you?" asked the oldest man sitting behind the desk.

"Half my herd was stolen last night. You can't tell me that it was a hole in my fence or that they just wandered off. Holes in fences don't shoot .38s. That fence was deliberately damaged, and they took my best ones. All my longhorns are gone," Han stated.

"I believe you, son, I really do. But…until we can get some leads on who they are or where they went, 'fraid there ain't much I can do," the sheriff explained, standing and walking around the desk.

"Look, Rieekan. The only way I'll be able to keep that land is if I sell every single animal in that herd this fall."

"I know. You had almost two hundred head out there; a hundred cattle are bound to leave some kinda trail. Did you follow it?"

"Few miles in both directions. The rain came through and washed away what little there mighta been."

"I'll come by this afternoon and take a look."

"You're not the only rancher who's having problems. We really ought to call a meeting and decide what we're gonna do about this," one of the other men stated. Rieekan nodded.

"It's the Empire Gang, Carlist, and you know it. We shoulda run them outta town years ago," the third man spat.

"Wild speculations ain't gonna get us anywhere, Crix, and you know it. Han, I really am doing what I can," Sheriff Rieekan said, clapping a hand on Han's shoulder. The sheriff noticed Leia standing in the doorway then. "May I help you, ma'am?"

"Sheriff, this is Leia Organa. My intended," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"Pleased to know you, Miss," Sheriff Rieekan greeted. "I'll have to bring my Sarah around to get acquainted." The man had a genuine, easy smile and calm demeanor that put Leia at ease. She realized he reminded her of her father.

"Pleased to meet you," she murmured.

"We should get back to the ranch," Han stated.

"I'll come by this afternoon," Sheriff Rieekan promised. Han nodded, and settled his hat on his head.

Leia turned and walked back into the bright light of the street, with Han a few paces behind her. He gave her a hand up onto the buckboard, and then jumped up behind her.

"Solo!" Han and Leia turned over their shoulders. Something tingled in the back of Leia's neck, and she felt Han stiffen beside her on the bench seat.

"Jabba," Han returned slowly. Leia could tell that he really didn't like this man, Jabba, whoever he was.

"You got a payment due to me awful soon."

"I know. I should have it, I'm real close. Only problem is, half my herd was stolen last night. My hands and I are workin' hard to track 'em. We'll get 'em back, and I'll have your money after that. You've got my word."

"I better get that money," Jabba warned. His eyes drifted to Leia. "And you. You must be the little woman from back East," he drawled. She prickled under his gaze. "Good luck. You're gonna need it." With that, the man turned on his heel and entered the building: the Saloon.

"Who is that?" Leia asked, not taking her eyes off the swinging doors.

"Folks call him 'Jabba'." Han explained."Nobody knows if that's his first name or his last name or neither or both. He owns the saloon."

"Why are you in debt to the saloon owner?" Leia demanded, turning to face him as he directed Millennium back into the street.

"Relax, will ya? I bought my ranch from him. Took every penny I had to get that land and the herd. I don't have money or time to be sitting around drinkin' in his filthy bar," Han assured her. Leia begrudgingly accepted his explanation, and quickly undid the ribbon and the pin that held her bonnet on. She tucked it securely between them and gripped the edge of the bench as he signaled to the horse.

Leia almost glanced back at the town as they left, taking a rutted road off to the north.

 _No. Too late to look back now._


	10. Falcon Ranch

**Chapter 10**

 **Falcon Ranch**

Eventually, a tumbled-down split rail fence came up alongside the road. The horse had slowed to a brisk trot, and Leia watched absently as the fence posts ticked by. Finally, they came up on a break in the fence. Over the entrance was a large plank with a symbol burned on it: two vertical lines, crossed with a wide V-shape. Han turned the wagon in. Wheel ruts were barely visible in the grass. In the distance, she could barely make out a few small wooden structures.

"Well, this is it. Falcon Ranch. Hope you weren't expecting a palace," Han griped as they grew closer. "Was a little rundown before I got my hands on it, but I've been workin' real hard to get 'er fixed up. It's a sturdy little place, now. Made lots up modifications myself," he bragged. They stopped in front of the larger structure, which she assumed was the barn.

"I'm sure it will be fine," she responded. Four men came out of the barn: a large man with long hair and a thick beard, a middle-aged bald man wearing tan clothes and little spectacles, an older man dressed in dark brown leather chaps and a hat pushed back far on his head, and a young man with bright eyes and a dusty work shirt tucked into his denim pants. A white dog with brown patches lay in the shade near the barn.

"This is Miss Leia," Han introduced, jumping down from the wagon. "That's Chewie, CP, Ben, and Luke. They work for me," he explained, offering her a hand down as an afterthought.

"Pleasure to meet you," she greeted. They all nodded and smiled warmly.

"We need to get back out to the pasture. The sheriff's coming out this afternoon, and I want to have a count on just how many we're missing. I've got to get Millennium unhitched and saddled up; Luke, will you take Miss Organa's trunk into the cabin?" Han requested.

"Be glad to," he smiled.

"Alright then. Let's not stand here lettin' grass grow under our feet. Get stirrin'," Han urged, taking hold of Millennium's bridle and leading him around the barn.

"We're glad you're here. He's not always like this—'bout a hundred cattle were taken last night. He's gonna need the money from them to make his payments to keep this place," Luke explained as he pulled her trunk off the back of the buckboard.

Ben took the other end and they led her to the house, Luke chatting amicably the entire way. At least she'd have _one_ friend out here, it seemed. The dog trotted along at his heels.

"That's Rusty. He's real friendly," Luke said, ruffling the dog's as he put the trunk down just inside the the door.

The cabin was dimly lit and filthy. It was obvious that four bachelors had been inhabiting the cabin for a long time. It looked like she'd have her work cut out for her. Solo's ad had told her that she had to be able to cook and keep house, and it looked like she'd be starting right away.

There was barely any light in the cabin with the door closed, so Leia changed quickly from her traveling clothes into one of the new calico work dresses she'd bought. She was glad to get back out in the fresh air after changing.

Han was rubbing down Millennium when she reemerged; the others were nowhere to be seen. He gave her a once-over as she approached the corral fence and leaned against it.

"I'm sorry I don't have time to give you the full tour of the place today. Basically, though: cabin, barn, chicken coop, bunkhouse." He pointed to each structure as he spoke.

"Some barn. Looks like it'd blow over if someone sneezed in that direction," she said, looking over the building.

"Look, _S_ _weetheart_ , when I bought this place four months ago, it was _trash_. Fences fallin' down, holes in all the roofs, no door on the privy. You know who fixed this all up? Me. I've worked my tail off for this land, and I don't take kindly to uppity city women telling me what they think is wrong with a perfectly good barn," he sniped back. She rolled her eyes.

"Very well. I'll be sure to keep those comments to myself." It was Han's turn to roll his eyes.

"Well's around front, and there's a pump by the door. Privy's around back. The fellas 'n' I'll be down in the east pasture for a while. That's where the cattle are right now." He pointed towards some rolling hills. "You think you can handle things here for a while?" He hefted a large saddle onto the mount's back and cinched it carefully.

"Handle things? _Handle_ things?" she demanded.

"Land sakes, woman! Calm down! I just meant will you be alright here by yourself?" he asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"I'll be _fine_ ," Leia insisted.

"Good. There's a shotgun over the door if there's trouble. Don't try to shoot it," he warned. "Just seein' a little thing like you aimin' a twelve-gauge should be enough to scare anybody. Kick-back's pretty strong though, so don't try to shoot it," he reiterated. "Send Sheriff Rieekan our way when he stops by," Han requested, tying on his chaps.

"Very well," Leia agreed, looking angrily at the ground as he swung up onto his horse. Leia watched as he directed the black stallion through the gate and took off at a full gallop in the direction of the hills. Honestly, some people just had to show off.

Leia blew out a breath and marched angrily back toward the cabin. She was determined to show from the outset that she was fully capable of doing what it took to be a farm wife, capable of holding up her end of the deal. It took a full five minutes of staring at the cluttered room for her to decide what to do.

Tying on her apron, she pulled the quilts off the bed and the clothes off the floor and dropped them into the woven washing basket. She found a galvanized washtub in the lean-to near the pump. She filled the basin and rolled up her sleeves.

She'd never actually done much cleaning or housekeeping in New York. They'd had servants for those things, maids and household staff. One of the maids had a daughter that was about Leia's age, however, so she'd spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen and seen the washing being done plenty of times.

Forty minutes later, Leia decided that beginning her career as a laundress with full size sheets and quilts was probably not the best option. Finally, though, she was able to throw the blankets over the line stretched between the house and a wooden pole.

The clothes were dirty—she had to fetch new rinse water halfway through the pile because of the prairie dirt that was embedded in the fabric. It was easy to see why this man needed a woman around.

Leia scrubbed until the basket was empty. Her shoulders ached from the repetitive motion, her knees ached from kneeling on the hard ground, and the skin on her fingers was bright pink from the harsh lye.

Her next task was to scrub through the grime on the stove. There was a bottle of black polish and a rag on a high shelf, and she gave it a coat of that, too. It got beneath her fingernails and soaked into the cracks on her knuckles, stinging in places where the lye soap had gotten the better of her skin.

Finding a broom in the corner, Leia swept out the dirt and dust from the rough-hewn wooden floor, flinging it out the open door with more force than necessary. It wasn't until she finally sat down to rest at the table that she realized she'd been muttering to herself the entire time she'd been working, berating Han and the ranch, the uncivilized world, advertisements, lye soap, and herself.

"You're a fully-grown woman," Leia admonished herself. "Whatever happened to making the most of a bad situation, keeping your chin up and all of that?" she asked. The childish part of her wanted to snap back and list all the things that were wrong with her life, but she refused to go down that road.

The sheriff came by in the afternoon, and Leia directed him to the pasture. She unpacked a few things from her trunk, trying to give the small cabin a touch of home. The bedding dried quickly in the warm afternoon sun, so she remade the bed, choosing to spread her own quilt over it instead of Han's tattered one.

A tiny timepiece ticked on the mantle. Nearly six o'clock—they'd be expecting supper soon. She tied her apron back on, and set to work.

 _AN: Y'all have been great about reviewing but I'm going to bug you anyhow..._

 _When do you want more chapters? Tomorrow? Tuesday? Let me know!_


	11. Prairie Night

_AN: I've decided to do one chapter a day from here on out (there are 21 chapters in all)! Thanks again to everyone who's commented!_

 _There's a scene partway through this chapter that has some good stuff but isn't exactly clear as a bell...I spent a lot of hours working on it, thought about changing it, deleting it, etc., but I decided that the conversation was important and hopefully, y'all can just think about it like it would be in a movie...with those little voice over internal monologue things, you know? It will make more sense, hopefully, when you get there...I hope._

 **Chapter 11**

 **Prairie Night**

Han's stomach growled as he lifted the heavy saddle from Millennium's back. He sighed; it would be another half hour 'til they could get supper on the table, and then he had to have a frank talk with Leia. It had been a long day, and it wasn't over yet.

He rinsed his hands off at the pump, and headed toward the house.

"Chewie will be in to make supper in just—oh." The stained wooden table was set for supper and Leia was standing at the stove, flipping pancakes. Han glanced around the cabin, aware of small changes here and there. The usual stack of dirty dishes was absent, as was the usual pile of laundry near the bed—come to think of it, he'd seen wet wash hanging on the line. His quilt-his mother's quilt-wasn't on the bed anymore. The normal clutter that made the place feel cozy and lived in was gone, too, and Han grit his teeth.

"Oh, good. I wasn't sure what time you'd be in. Sit down and eat before they get cold," Leia directed in an even tone.

He begrudgingly took a seat, his anger about the state of his cabin taking a back seat to the rumbling of his stomach.

The pancakes were delicious—then again, anything would be after nearly a decade of bachelor cooking. She forked some bacon onto his plate, and Han decided he could probably get used to less clutter and a new quilt. He'd brought her out here to do these things, after all, so he could hardly fault her for starting right away.

"You know, you're pretty good at this, for an Easterner," Han said. Her shoulders tensed visibly, and she turned to face him.

"For an _Easterner_?" she repeated.

"Yeah. You know, they probably don't teach you all the stuff about being a farm wife back in…princess school," Han finished.

"Princess school?"

"I just—I mean, you know. You didn't learn how to plant a vegetable garden and knit socks! You learned…hell if I know what you learned there, but it probably wasn't very useful to _this_ ," Han bit, gesturing to the cabin.

"Why did you ask me to come out here if you didn't think I could do what needed to be done?" she demanded. "Just because I went to finishing school doesn't mean I can't function as a useful member of a household, and it certainly doesn't mean I can't learn anything."

"I never said that! I was just sayin' I'm surprised you had the gumption to do all this on your first day here, is all. I sort of expected you'd…"

"What? Fail?"

"No! Need _help_ , maybe…"

"Mr. Solo, you told me you needed a farm wife. Here I am. Now, I'll thank you to _get out_ _of my way,_ " she bit, reaching around him and dropping a tin plate of bacon onto the table.

The ranch hands walked in at that moment, ending their discussion. Leia slapped a plate before each of them as they sat down and returned to the stove to prepare more for the hungry men.

00

Han stretched his aching back and snuck a glance at Leia. She was making more pancakes, calm as could be.

 _How is she not nervous about this at all? I'll agree that livin' in a city ain't just like fallin' off a log, but ranch life is hard for a whole lotta really different reasons_ , Han thought to himself.

Leia's eyes jumped briefly to Han when she looked to see how many pancakes were left. He was eating as quickly as the other men, like he hadn't had a good meal in weeks. The look in his eyes told her he was probably a thousand miles away, already past their argument and onto more important things.

 _Who does he think he is? It's almost like he was expecting me to fail! Well, I might not have learned how to ride bareback or shoot a shotgun or...skin a...chicken or some dreadful thing at princess school, but to expect that I couldn't even function out here…_ Leia flipped the pancake, accidentally folding it in half. She sighed and moved it onto the plate with the other botched pancakes and poured a new circle of batter onto the hot pan. Hopefully Rusty liked pancakes.

Han glanced up at her, shoving another bite into his mouth. The ease with which she moved around unfamiliar surroundings unnerved him a bit. A moment later, she flipped it carefully and the raw batter sizzled.

 _She's fine comin' out here blindly and leavin' everything she ever knew back on the other side of the damn country? How ain't she worried about holdin' up her end of the deal, cookin' for five hungry men, keepin' a dirty ole' cabin clean?_

Leia bit back a yelp as her little finger nudged the scalding edge of the cast iron skillet.

 _Breha Organa didn't raise a helpless female, no sir. I'm sure I don't know everything about living on a ranch but I can always ask...I could ask...hm. Someone.' Leia smiled to herself as she lifted the perfectly golden pancake out of the pan and slid it onto the empty plate in the center of the table. 'I am sure there's a woman in this town who could help me. I just have to find her, and ask her...without any of them knowing. You're a smart girl, Leia. You can figure it out._

Han looked at her, still cooking away.

 _Look at her over there, calm as can be. She slid a hot pancake onto the plate and almost immediately, five forks lunged for it. Han pulled back and let the others fight it out. If I don't get those cattle back, I'm not gonna be able to support her, or any of these men. Way to go, Solo. Perfect. Six lives, in one fell swoop. But really, is she not worried? Getting married soon, and that don't bug her one single bit!'_ Han pushed his plate back from the edge of the table and leaned back from the table.

Leia put another pancake in the center of the table. Han was sitting back, finished with his meal.

 _Look at him, sitting there without a care in the world. Of course, this is easy for him. He didn't have to pick up and leave everything behind. He's still in his own town, on his own land, with his own friends. How can he be so insensitive?_

The only sound for the last several minutes had been tin plates and forks. Leia jumped when someone finally spoke.

"Come, CP. We should get back out to the pasture," Ben beckoned. "Luke, don't forget: you need to practice."

"Keep a sharp eye out. Rouse us if anything goes wrong," Han requested.

The three men rose from the table and exited the cabin, tipping their hats in thanks to Leia on the way out. Chewie excused himself a minute later, leaving Han and Leia alone.

Leia set the plate full of imperfect pancakes under the table and Rusty hurried over to polish them off.

She kept her back to him as she washed the dishes. The silence between them was painful. Neither made an effort to begin conversation, or to bring up their earlier conflict, even to resolve it.

Han stretched and yawned. He'd been up for how long now? Nearly thirty-six hours with only a few hours rest in the middle. He rose from the table, shut the door, and started fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.

"Excuse me, what on earth do you think you're doing?" Leia demanded.

"Gettin' ready for bed!"

"Not in here, you're not. You may have asked me to come out here and be your wife and I may have agreed, but we aren't married yet. I do not intend to spend the night in the same room as an unmarried man."

"Right. Fine. I'll just go sleep in the bunkroom," Han replied. He marched from the cabin, and Leia closed the door behind him.

From her trunk, she withdrew a book: Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. Her mother had bought it for Leia's birthday shortly before her parents' death, and it had helped Leia escape from her life on countless occasions in the last few months. The great hardships endured by so many of the characters reminded her that her hardships weren't the only ones in the world, and she hoped that it had made her more empathetic in a time when charity and goodness were not on her list of top priorities. She was nearly finished with the huge volume now. There was an oil lamp on the mantle, and Leia carefully lit it, holding her book close to the hurricane globe to make out the tiny words.

She'd scarcely made it through two pages when the door banged open. Leia reeled, expecting to find Han.

"I told you that you—Luke! I'm sorry," she apologized immediately.

"No, no. It's okay. I just finished up with my practicing, and I was looking for a little coffee," he explained.

"You're in luck—I was going to pour it out and forgot, I suppose."

"Thanks. I didn't mean to intrude," he apologized, pouring a cup of coffee from the cooling pot on the stove.

"It's nothing. What were you practicing, if I may ask?"

"Oh. Well, I'm going to train to be a US Marshal, someday. Ben was one, once, and so was my father. I've been working on my aim and my quick draw so I can stand out at the academy," Luke explained.

"That's very interesting. Will you be leaving the ranch?" she asked, knowing even from their short time together that Han wouldn't be happy knowing one of his hands was preparing to leave soon.

"Ben doesn't think I am ready yet. Han knows, though, that Ben and I might have to leave suddenly," Luke explained, sensing the question. "What are you reading?" he asked. Leia gave him a short synopsis of the work as he listened with rapt attention.

"It's a very interesting book. I could lend it to you after I finish with it," she offered.

"Thanks. I don't know if I went quite far enough in school to read it, though," Luke laughed, flipping through and skimming the pages.

"How far did you go?" she asked.

"I quit when I was 14. My aunt died when I was young—the consumption—and then my uncle got to be a pretty hard drinker. Ben was the foreman of his ranch in Texas, and eventually, he decided it was time to move on. He offered to take me, get me out of my uncle's house. I been ridin' range ever since."

"My. The true life of a cowboy," Leia venerated.

"Yep. I haven't ever really regretted leaving. I do wish I could have finished school, though. I can read and do some basic figurin' but beyond that…"

"I loved being able to go to school, even though it won't do me much good. It was always expected that I'd get married and raise my own family. I was beginning to be considered something of an old maid, back home," Leia admitted.

"An old maid? You? That's hard to believe," he complimented, smiling sweetly at her.

"Well, our Mr. Solo will be taking care of that in short order," Leia reminded him.

"Right. Well, thanks for the coffee. I should probably get to bed. Sunrise comes early enough," he joked, dropping his empty cup in the dishpan.

"Of course. Thank you for the company," she replied.

"'Course. Night, Leia." The door closed softly behind him, and Leia smiled for the first time since arriving.

 _AN: Reviews make me as happy as Les Mis makes Leia...please?_


	12. The Wedding

_AN: Shortish-but very important-chapter tonight! I hope all of my American friends are enjoying some fireworks this evening!  
_

 **Chapter 12**

 **The Wedding**

Leia was up very early the next morning. It was dark for nearly an hour before light was visible on the horizon far beyond the cabin door. Luke appeared at the door with a bowl full of fresh eggs and a bucket of milk. She was mixing up scrambled eggs when Chewie walked in.

"Mornin' ma'am," he greeted quietly.

"Good morning," she replied, pouring the eggs into the cast iron skillet. Chewie poured a few cups of coffee and set them at the table, where she'd already spread the tin plates and silverware around. He took his place in the corner, staring pensively into his coffee cup.

Han walked in next. He looked like he'd gotten a few hours' sleep, and the dirt that had clouded his face and hands yesterday was absent. She could almost see how one might consider him handsome…

"We're gettin' married today," Han announced unceremoniously as he took a seat at the table. Leia turned from the stove where she was making scrambled eggs and stared at him for a moment.

"Very well then," she agreed finally, turning back to the stove.

Luke entered a few minutes later and seemed to sense the tense air in the cabin. The meal was eaten in silence, the scrape of tin utensils against tin plates the only sound beyond the faint singing of the birds. Chewie graciously offered to wash the breakfast dishes so Leia could get ready for the wedding. She'd brought only a few of her gowns from New York, and she selected the pale green dress made of lawn with tiny pink flowers printed on it. She pinned her poke bonnet on over her hair and glanced in the small looking glass at the washbasin. It wasn't exactly the look she'd imagined for her wedding, but it was what she had to work with.

"I'll be out in a minute," Han called out as she left the cabin. Chewie was waiting outside, and he helped her up into the buckboard. She wrung her hands in her lap for a moment, waiting for Han. He came out of the cabin dressed in clean, dark pants, a white shirt, and a black vest. He set his dark Stetson hat on his head and went to have a few words with Chewie before swinging himself up onto the buckboard with Leia. There was a team of horses hitched to the wagon today: a pinto and a brown quarter horse.

"Ben and Luke's. They're much calmer—be a little slower, but a smoother ride," he explained. Leia nodded. They didn't speak after that comment, and Leia wondered if she was in for a marriage of complete silence. The thought made her already-churning stomach clench even more.

Han brought them down Main St. and stopped in front of the court house. Of course, they wouldn't be getting married by a clergyman. Leia's heart fell. Han jumped down and tied up the horses, returning a moment later to help his bride down from the wagon.

"You, ah," he stopped and cleared his throat. "You look nice."

"Thank you. As do you," she returned. He gave a grunt, perhaps as a brush off, perhaps as a thank you. He gestured toward the door and followed her in.

"Howdy, Solo. What can I do for you?" asked a tall man with his feet kicked up on a desk.

"This is Judge Janson. John, this is Leia Organa. We'd appreciate it if you could marry us," Han explained.

"Reckon so. Just a minute."

"John's got a kid brother, Wes. Wes and his wife farm the land off to the north of me. Us. To the north," Han stumbled. Leia nodded, suddenly preferring their usual silence over Han's awkward attempt at conversation.

Leia watched as the man dug a long black robe out of the closet and pulled a black book from his desk. They were going to do this right here, in the dingy little court office. Her mother was probably rolling in her grave.

"Join hands, please," Judge Janson requested. Leia begrudgingly slipped her palm into Han's. His fingers tightened ever so slightly around hers and electricity jolted through her. "Do you, Han Solo, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor and cherish as long as you both shall live? If you agree, answer 'I do'."

"I do."

"Do you—uh, what's your name?" Judge Janson asked. Leia felt a blush rise from beneath her collar.

"Leia Organa."

"Do you, Leia Organa, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor, and cherish as long as you both shall live? If you agree, answer 'I do'."

Leia took a deep breath.

"I do," she murmured.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," he stated happily. His smile faltered a bit when Leia yanked her hand from Han's the second he finished speaking. She was glad he didn't tell Han to kiss the bride.

They filled out the necessary paperwork, Han paid the man, and they left. The ride back to the ranch was as silent as the ride into town.

 _AN: By the power vested in me by the rules of this archive...I now pronounce them...Rancher and Wife. Please do not kiss the bride because she might hit you. Thx._


	13. Flowers for the Lady

_AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the wedding! It was very cringey, but then again, isn't this whole arrangement a little off-kilter? I hope today's and tomorrow's chapters help show that, while it ain't all sunshine and roses, they_ are _starting to get a little more comfortable with one another! Also, one thing I should mention just in case anyone's not run across this phraseology before: 'living as man and wife' refers to consummating their marriage. If you think they're delicately speaking about sex, they probably are._

 **Chapter 13**

 **Flowers for the Lady**

The afternoon was largely uneventful. Leia changed out of her green dress and into her blue work dress. Han put his work clothes back on, too, and took Millennium out to the south pasture to see how things were coming with the hands.

Repairs to the fence were finished, and Han looked over the patch job.

"Looks good. It should hold. It's gonna be risky, but I think we should get the cattle back in here for the day. Don't have to waste time hauling water, and the grass is tall enough for them to have decent food," Han decided. Ben and Chewie nodded.

They spent the rest of the afternoon moving the cattle back to the south pasture and getting them settled.

"I'll be out here till nightfall. Ben and Luke will be out here till sunrise, and CP will ride out after that," Chewie told Han as they sat on their mounts, looking out over the cattle.

"Leia said she'd have supper rustled up around six. Gotta be gettin' close to that right now," Han reckoned, looking up at the sky and measuring the time by the sun. "We'll all go up and eat, 'n I'll bring you back some supper and ride for the rest of the night."

"You sure? It's your wedding night," Chewie reminded. Han sighed.

"All the more reason for me to stay out," he countered.

"Maybe this is none of my business, boy, but I'm gonna tell you anyhow. It's not my choice whether you...er, live as man and wife, but I can tell you that avoidin' each other day and night ain't gonna work."

Han scoffed.

"Leia and I don't got a thing in common."

"You don't know that. Talk to her. She's gotta be just about the loneliest soul on this whole prairie, 'cept for maybe you. You ain't even _tried_ to be friends with her. Like I said, it's none of my business if she shares your bed or not, but tonight, at least share a lousy cuppa joe with 'er," Chewie instructed.

Han sighed. He knew that Chewie was right.

"I'll try," he promised.

"Good. We'll cook our own supper over a fire out here, and handle watch shifts until mornin'," Chewie offered.

"Thanks." Han urged Millennium toward the pasture gate, dismounting to make sure the gate was secure behind him, and even going so far as to look over the hinges. Better safe than sorry.

A waving patch of pink bee balm caught his eye growing around the gatepost. They looked like the flowers that had been sprinkled across the fabric of her dress that morning. She'd looked beautiful in that dress—in all the dresses he'd seen her in since she'd arrived the day before, but that one especially.

Han mulled over the advice Chewie'd given him. He hadn't exactly been the most kind to her. She'd been here for a day, and they hadn't done anything but fight or ignore each other. It wasn't the best way to start out any relationship, he was sure, especially a marriage. He really didn't have much experience with women; at least not that kind of experience, and not with this kind of woman, either. She was refined and educated where he was rough and survived on his wits and instincts. How was he even _supposed_ to talk to her?

Realizing he'd been standing and staring at the flowers, Han shook his head and plucked a few of the stems. Hopefully, Leia would take the flowers as a peace offering, and they could start over. Have a real conversation, communicate the way two people were supposed to-like partners. He swung up onto Millennium and pointed the horse toward the barn. The flowers remained mostly intact on the brisk ride, the wind bending a few petals here and there. He set the little bouquet on the fence post while he removed the saddle from the horse and rubbed down his shining black coat.

"In you go—hey! Those were for Leia!" he demanded as Millennium gobbled down the last flower.

"What were for Leia?"

Han turned on his heel to find his new wife walking toward him, drying her hands on her apron.

"Nothin'. I just," he fumbled. There was a single stem left on the fencepost, half-chewed and slobbery. Han held it up by the dry end. "I thought you might like some flowers, but _someone_ had other ideas." A small smile spread across her face, and Han felt the knots in his chest unwind a bit at the sight.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I think I'll pass on that," she laughed, looking at the half-eaten stem.

"Is there something you need?" he asked.

"I just came to tell you that supper is almost ready. You've got just enough time to wash up."

"Thanks. I'll be right in. Oh-by the way, the others aren't joinin' us. It's just you 'n me till daybreak."

Leia's calm demeanor and small smile immediately turned into a look of trepidation, like a calf that had suddenly been cornered. She crossed her arms protectively around her body.

Han thought quickly about what he'd said, trying to figure out what had caused such a swift reaction.

 _You 'n me till daybreak_. Tonight was their wedding night, and he'd just informed her that they'd be spending it alone. No wonder she'd closed up so quickly: she was expecting him to make her share his bed.

"No, Leia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-we'll be alone, but not 'cause 'a _that_ ," he promised. "We don't _ever_ have to live like that, if you don't want to. I know this... _situation_ ain't ideal, but I'm not gonna go makin' it worse by forcin' myself on you. I'll go back to the bunkhouse tonight," he promised.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking at the ground.

"We don't have to tell nobody, neither. How we live is our business, and nobody else's." She nodded in agreement, raising her eyes to meet his. "Chewie had...ah, noble intentions, I guess. Said they were gonna practice camp cookin' for when we drive the cattle to the border at the end of the season," he explained.

"Well, I cooked enough for everybody. I hope you're hungry," she said, her relaxed air slowly returning as she let her arms down by her sides again.

"Starvin'," he promised.

Leia gave him another small smile and turned back to the cabin. Han walked Millennium into the corral, secured the gate, and then stopped at the pump by the barn to wash up.

It had been a windy day, and the blowing prairie dust had clung to his sweat-soaked shirt, seeping through the material and drying in a film on his skin. It didn't bother him anymore, but he was married now, so didn't that mean he was supposed to care about being clean and not smelling like he'd spent the day in a field with a hundred head of cattle?

See, _this_ was the kind of thing men were supposed to know _before_ sending to New York for a bride.

He settled for rolling his sleeves up as high as they would go and scrubbing with lye until his skin was pink and a little sore. Straightening his shirt a little, Han set of for the cabin, determined to make things better.

 _AN: Tune in tomorrow to see how the rest of their night goes-a few of you expressed minor concerns, and I hope Han abated them in this chapter: they'll live as man and wife only when they're damn well ready._


	14. Wedding Supper

_AN: I have fallen terribly behind in responding to reviews! I appreciate every single one, and I really REALLY appreciate everyone who's commented on several chapters! I *love* reading how your thoughts progress after each chapter. With that, onward ho!  
_

 **Chapter 14**

 **Wedding Supper**

Leia was dishing up salt pork and beans when Han entered the dim cabin.

"It's not much of a wedding supper," she apologized.

"It's fine. Looks good," he replied, sitting down and digging into his plate. It made her just a tad proud to see him eat like that; it meant she was holding up her end of the arrangement.

Leia ate slowly, trying to force her palate into liking the new food.

"You okay?" Han asked, scooping another helping for himself.

"Fine. My stomach just isn't quite used the heavier, more... _bold_ flavors of prairie cooking," she excused.

"You know, you can cook whatever you want. We might not have all the ingredients for everything you make back East, but I'm sure you could rustle up a few things from back home. We'll eat anything," Han assured. Leia chuckled.

"I'm afraid I don't have much experience cooking at all," she admitted.

"Didn't teach that at princess school?" he teased between bites.

"They certainly didn't teach us how to cook for five hungry ranchers," Leia replied. "My mother was born in Italy, and she taught me how to make a few dishes from her home. Perhaps I could attempt one of those," Leia mused.

"There'll be plenty of tomatoes ripe soon. One of us can show you how to tell when they're perfect for pickin'," Han promised.

"Oh, things besides weeds actually grow in that poor excuse for a vegetable patch?" Leia laughed, taking her empty plate to the basin full of dishwater.

"Of _course_ things grow in there," Han replied. "Looks can be awful deceivin' you know. The wind's been blowin' all morning and the barn's still standin', even though you were pretty sure it was gonna fall over yesterday. And look at you, too. I thought you were some frilly little Eastern woman who wasn't gonna be able to do anything, but you've kept us from goin' hungry for the past four meals. Maybe weedy vegetable gardens have the best crop," he posed thoughtfully, sitting back and fixing her with a pensive stare.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Leia retorted, taking the rest of the dishes and submerging them for a quick scrub in the hot water.

The light was fading quickly, and Han lit the kerosene lamp so they weren't left in complete darkness. They fell silent for a while. Leia took out a partially-finished quilt, and Han produced his knife and began whittling away at a piece of tinder.

"You said your ma was from Italy?" Han asked. She appreciated that he was attempting to make conversation, to learn more about her.

"Yes. She immigrated here when she was a teenager, and began working for my father's family. What about you? Were your parents immigrants?" The lamplight danced across his handsome face, and Leia stilled her needle after pricking her finger while not paying attention.

"Don't know. Never cared much to find out when I could, and it's too late now. I don't mind too much, though." Leia sensed that was all he was willing to divulge on the matter.

"Have you always wanted to be a rancher?" she asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.

"Long as I can remember. I been a ranch hand ever since I got to be old enough, and I saved real careful. Not many people can buy a parcel that's already set up. They either get a piece of the family land, or they save up and buy an empty plot. Course, with the way this place was when I got it, it might as well've been an empty plot for all the fixin' we had to do," Han scoffed. "What did you want to do? You probably didn't always figure on coming West," he surmised.

"No. I don't know, really. I guess I always thought I'd marry one day. An Easterner, of course. Someone with...wealth and status and all of that. The thought never really appealed to me, but I didn't think I had much of a choice," Leia explained wistfully. "I wanted adventure, not...lavish parties and dancing and the social register. I wouldn't go back to that life for anything."

That remark seemed to please Han just a bit. They continued their individual projects in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the prairie just outside the open cabin door.

A coyote howled in the distance, making Leia jump.

"It's all right. They don't come near the cabin, and they'll learn not to come near the cattle if they ever try," Han soothed.

"Very well." Leia rubbed at her eyes, trying to ease the strain from doing such delicate work in near-darkness. Han swept his wood shavings off the table and tossed them into the tinder box.

"Thanks for supper," he said, heading toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Leia asked.

"I promised I'd sleep in the bunkhouse," he reminded. Leia felt slightly guilty for forcing the man she'd married out of his own house, and things had been going well all evening. She didn't want to cause resentment just because she refused to be alone with him. He'd promised to respect her, and he'd proven so far to be a man of his word.

"Oh, yes. Well, I suppose that you don't have to go all the way out there. It...it wouldn't be right for a married couple to sleep in separate buildings like that. I've aired out all the bedding I can find; I'm sure we can make up a suitable mattress for you in here," she offered.

"Ok. This floor would be better than sleepin' in one of those bunks again," Han joked.

Leia retrieved the quilts for him, and a pillow, and Han spread them out on the floor against the wall.

"We can blow the candle out for privacy. I think it'll be dark enough," Han suggested.

"Very well," Leia agreed. Han turned down the wick of the lamp until it flickered out. Leia changed into her nightgown in the dark and slid silently into the bed. She hadn't slept hardly a wink the night before. The prairie at night was unnervingly quiet: the soft whisper of the wind through the barnyard, perhaps a whinny from the horses now and then, the howl of a coyote. She was used to the never-ending sounds of New York; this silence set her teeth on edge. Tonight, though, a different sound added to the mixture: Han's gentle snoring.

Falling asleep on the second night wasn't nearly as hard as the first. For the first time in months, she wasn't afraid of tomorrow.


	15. The Marshal's Apprentice

**Chapter 15**

 **The Marshal's Apprentice**

Things had settled into a comfortable routine in the week since her wedding. Meals were predictable; chores happened like scrubbed on Saturday night and went to church on Sunday morning. And, as usual, Luke and Ben were working on Luke's marshalling practice in the barnyard while Leia tended to the vegetable garden. She was very proud of the little patch of green, even after only a few days. Chewie had shown her what was weed and what was plant, and then she'd spent the better part of a few days weeding and watering until the plot was something to be proud of. Luke had taught her how to find the ripest vegetables, and she'd enjoyed experimenting with the bounty for mealtimes.

"Steady, Luke. Try again," Ben instructed. Leia looked over the small garden fence to where the two men were. She stood and stretched her back as Luke aimed at a chalk target drawn on a tree trunk. Flinching slightly as he shot, Leia gathered the basket and exited the garden, walking across the barnyard to sit beside Ben to snap beans. Rusty plopped down and leaned against her legs, content to sit in the sun and watch his master.

Luke continued to practice his aim as Leia snapped beans and Ben looked on.

"I think that's enough of that for the day," Ben directed. "No need to waste precious ammunition. Work on your quick draw."

"How's that?" Luke asked, swinging the weapon up.

"Not bad. Keep practicing. Remember: Wasting extra seconds with your draw can mean the difference between life and death for you and many of the people you'll swear to protect," Ben reminded.

Luke reset, fastening the strap over the firearm again and resuming his casual stance. He moved quickly, yanking the weapon from his holster and aiming it at the tree.

"Very good. Let the weapon become an extension of your arm, a part of your body."

Luke attempted again, but his gun snagged on the tie-down and fell to the ground.

"Patience. Practice makes perfect," Ben directed.

Leia and Ben ducked as Luke reattempted the draw and flung the gun toward them. Rusty jumped up and ran toward the barn, where Han had just returned from a ride into town.

"I suggest you try it again. This time, don't think. Follow your instinct, follow your body. Look straight ahead."

"Straight ahead?" Luke asked. "If I can't even make the draw lookin' at it, how am I supposed to do it that way?"

"Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them," Ben instructed. "Close your eyes so you won't be tempted."

Han sauntered over from the barn, seemingly interested in the demonstration. He snagged a handful of the snapped beans from Leia's bowl and stood crunching on them, one hand planted smugly on his hip. Leia watched the young man reset once again and close his eyes, the basket of beans lying forgotten on her lap. Luke's hand swung to his holster and in one clean movement, he had the weapon out of the leather pocket and aimed at the tree.

"Shoot. The pathway is clear," Ben instructed. Luke pulled the trigger and Leia was shocked to find that the bullet hit dead center. Luke opened his eyes and his face lit up with joy when he realized the bullet had found its mark. "You see, you can do it."

"I might make a marshal, yet," Luke said proudly to Leia. She smiled and turned back to the beans, hurrying to finish them in time for dinner.

"Clean your weapon, Luke. A lawman's weapon must always be in working condition."

"I don't know why you're bothering with all that, kid. Out here, people protect themselves. The law can't do anything that I can't do myself," Han stated.

"That's a rather pessimistic view of things," Leia said, forcing her fingernail into the flesh of a stubborn bean.

"It ain't pessimistic if it's true, Sweetheart," he sniped. "My cattle have been missing for three days. You can bet your bonnet that I'll shoot any trespasser on this land without a second thought. No point in waitin' for the Sheriff to get here from town or for the Marshal to get here from the county seat. I can hit 'em just as fast and just as accurate as a lawman, and I don't have to face a board of inquiry afterward."

"Have you ever thought that it might be attitudes like that that are keeping this territory from advancing into civilized country?" she asked, the vegetable in her hand giving a satisfying snap to go along with her retort.

"Those _attitudes_ kept me alive this long, and they got me a ranch and a herd and everything I got right now. Don't knock those attitudes, 'cause that's what's gonna keep you safe when the Empire Gang comes back," Han impressed. "Look, kid. All I'm sayin' is this is all well and good, hittin' the middle of a two foot target from twenty paces when nobody's movin' and you're all calm in order to get into lawman school. Goin' good against somethin' livin' while you're both ridin' horses and a lot of real things are at stake...that's somethin' else," Han stated.

Leia swallowed the rest of her argument. Han had more than enough reason to feel the way he did about such matters, and far be it from her to tell him his business. Luke holstered his gun and Ben pushed himself slowly off the ground, dusting off his pants as he straightened. Luke offered his hand to Leia, and she stood also, careful not to spill the snapped beans in the process.

"Word around town is that Vader's coming," Han mentioned, changing the subject. Ben and Luke both looked sharply at Han. He seemed as puzzled by their reaction as Leia was.

"Was it a credible source?" Ben asked.

"It's all over town. Most every ranch in Alliance County has been rustled from. 'Parently, that happened up in Alder County a few years ago just before he showed up and shot the place up," Han explained.

"Alder County? That's a ghost town," Luke said.

"You think people would stay in a place where a outlaw came in and shot half the townsfolk?" Han countered.

"True."

"This is not good news. You are not yet ready to face him," Ben murmured to Luke. "I must go and think. Our next steps are not yet clear." With that, the old man turned and walked slowly toward the bunkhouse.

"Who's Vader?" Leia asked.

"He's an outlaw. The roughest, most feared gunman in these parts. He and my father and Ben were lawmen together years ago till Vader...turned away from it. It all ended with a shootout. Vader wasn't seen or heard from for years, and Ben gave up bein' a lawman afterward, took up range-ridin'. Suddenly, he showed up again, sometime about five years ago. Ben says Vader's lookin' for him, and for me. Ben and my father were the only ones to stand up against Vader when he turned from the law," Luke explained.

"That's... _unsettling,_ " Leia returned.

"He wouldn't be that much of a problem if someone could nail 'im down for a few minutes," Han offered, "but he's slipperier 'n a greased pig. No one sees him come, no one sees him go. He wears a mask, too."

"And no one can put a bullet in him," Luke added. "It's almost like he can... _think_ the bullets away from him."

"Don't worry, Sweetheart. Me and the Junior Ranger, here, we'll keep you safe if he comes out here," Han teased. Leia rolled her eyes.

"I don't think you'll have too much to worry about. Ben will probably decide that we need to leave," Luke soothed. "I should go find him," he excused, leaving Han and Leia to walk to the cabin by themselves.

"There's a meeting in town tonight. Folks are tired of these outlaws and we're gonna try to come to some sort of decision," Han told her.

"Oh?" Leia asked, not sure if he was informing her or inviting her. She dumped the beans into the pot of water waiting on the stove.

"It's a community meeting; we all figured on going. It might be a nice way for you to start meetin' folks," Han suggested. "Mosta the married men bring their wives," he added.

"Well, I suppose I shall come, then," Leia decided. It would be their first time appearing together in public as a married couple. Back home, this would have been quite the event. Out here, though, it wasn't anything important.

"We'll need supper early," he requested. Leia nodded.

"It'll be ready."

 _AN: Tomorrow...the fun_ really _starts._


	16. The Meeting

_AN: I don't want to give too much away before we get going with the chapter, but this is where we really start to get back into the plotline of ANH. AKA Leia and Tarkin have some rather unpleasant words. It's a very short section, but it's a bit jarring, and I don't want to take anyone off-guard. Also, yeah, it's really melodramatic from here on in so strap in.  
_

 **Chapter 16**

 **The Town Meeting**

CP was sitting on the bench of the buckboard when she emerged from the cabin after finishing the supper dishes. Leia wasn't sure what to do—wasn't that technically _her_ place, seated next to her husband? Or was she being relegated to the back of the wagon, just another ranch hand? That's really what she was, after all. His wife in name and nothing else. Ben and Luke climbed into the back and Chewie gestured stiffly at CP to join them and then vaulted in himself. Han came up behind her and gave her a hand as she stepped up along the dashboard and settled onto the bench seat. He took the place beside her and clicked at the team. The wagon lurched and they set off for the four-mile ride into town.

The men talked behind them, but Han and Leia remained predictably silent.

Han pulled the horses to a stop when they approached town. Teams and wagons and horses were tied up all up and down the street, and there was a steady flow of people heading toward the meetinghouse.

Luke jumped out and hurried around to tie up the horses. Han helped Leia alight from the high step and the ragtag group joined the stream of people. Leia glanced around at all the faces: mostly clusters of men, probably ranch owners with their hands. Here and there, though, a man had a woman tucked into his side. Leia slipped her hand around Han's bicep, trying to fit in with the other couples.

Did they know she and Han had agreed to a marriage of convenience after exchanging only one letter? Could they tell that they'd married twenty-four hours after first setting eyes on each other and had spent the bridal night apart? Was it obvious to people how uncomfortable they both were with this arrangement, with the person fate had sent to them and they had accepted out of sheer necessity?

They glanced quickly at one another, and she could see her discomfort mirrored in his eyes. Han crooked his arm a bit to make her grip a bit more comfortable and intimate, and she took it as an assurance from him: they might not be the best of friends, but they were in this together. The promise of an ally abated her discomfiture slightly. She adjusted her knit shawl over her shoulders with her free hand as they walked up the steps into the meetinghouse.

The room was brightly lit with lanterns and candles, and people milled about, talking loudly. There were rows of benches facing a podium at the front. Han guided Leia around a group of chattering couples towards a vacant row of seats.

"Han Solo, don't you dare pass by without saying 'hello.'"

"Howdy, Sarah." The woman was middle-aged and had a warm, welcoming smile on her face.

"I'm Sarah Rieekan. You must be Mrs. Solo," she greeted. _Mrs. Solo. That_ was going to take some getting used to.

"Yes. Leia," she introduced herself.

"Well, Leia, if you ever need anything, don't you hesitate to ask, okay? It can get awful lonely for us gals out here. We gotta stick together," Sarah smiled, placing a friendly hand on Leia's arm.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

The sheriff stepped up beside his wife and put his arm around her.

"Pleased to see you folks here," Rieekan said, extending his hand to Han. Leia dropped her hold on his arm so he could properly shake the sheriff's hand, but was quietly relieved when he tucked her hand around his arm again.

Another man joined them then, a pallid, drawn, sinister looking man.

"Sheriff, Mrs. Rieekan," he greeted with a fake smile and an Eastern accent.

"Mr. Tarkin," the sheriff returned the greeting.

"Mr. Solo. And this, I take it, is the young lady you've brought from the East. I am Wilhuff Tarkin, Mrs. Solo," he introduced. Leia gave a curt smile. Her eyes flicked again to the others. They weren't smiling.

"Tarkin owns the ranch across the river from us," Han explained. Leia could only nod; she hadn't seen much more of the ranch than the barnyard and the cabin.

"I certainly do. In fact, I was hoping to extend my ranch across the river when I heard that Jabba had his land for sale, but Mr. Solo beat me to the bargaining table." The remark was meant to sound jovial and friendly, but Leia could tell by something in the man's expression that he resented Han for getting to the land first. A retort burned on Han's tongue, Leia could tell.

"Now, now, Tarkin. No hard feelings. This meeting was called to bring people together, not split us up," Rieekan intervened before things could escalate. The older man's sour expression was immediately replaced with the fake smile from moments before.

"Indeed. It's so refreshing to see so many members of the community interested in the good of all," Tarkin continued.

"Sure is," Rieekan agreed, but he wasn't smiling.

"Our little town has grown a great deal. Several of our young farmers and ranchers have taken brides, I see, much like yourself, Mr. Solo. It is a shame, though, that they must bring them from back East...what a pity. I would think it'd be a rather rude awakening for those girls, coming out here away from everything they've known...It's hard for the townsfolk to get to know them, too. Such a different world they're from; it's hard to find something to talk about with them. Don't you think, Mr. Solo?" The man had a sour grin on his face, evidently loving the fact that he was making Han and Leia uncomfortable. She steeled herself, closing off her expression in hopes that he'd stop after failing to get a rise out of them.

"Now, Tarkin," Rieekan warned.

"If you can't find anything to say to 'em, Tarkin, maybe you should just shut your mouth and let them say a few things now and then," Han recommended cooly. The rancher, however, ignored the comments and continued with his thinly veiled jibes.

"One would _almost_ wish these young men would just take up with one of Jabba's saloon girls. We'd all know her, and the man could go about knowing he saved his wife from a lifetime of immorality and sin."

"That's ridiculous," Sarah scoffed, looking mad enough to spit.

"At least the whores would have an _excuse_ to hang all over their husbands. _Bad habits are hard to break_ ," he insisted. Leia immediately pulled her arm from Han's arm.

"You talk an awful lot for someone who don't got much to say," Rieekan insulted. "Why don't you just find a seat so we can get on with things?"

Leia felt her face flaming. She was quite certain the man had just insinuated that she was on the same level as a cheap whore, in his mind. And what was worse, Leia wasn't sure she could disagree. While Han had made it clear that he didn't expect her to share his bed, she'd still agreed to come and share her _life_ with him for a stage ticket and the promise of a roof over her head and food on the table-provided she prepare it.

"Don't pay him _any_ mind, Leia. He's just a lonely old man and he had no business sayin' any of that. Folks do what has to be done to survive, and there ain't no shame in that. You're here with us now, and I, for one, am glad to have another woman in this town," Sarah affirmed, taking Leia's hand in her own.

"We should sit down," Han suggested. Leia attempted to give Sarah a thankful smile, but she was sure it appeared more like a grimace. Luke and the other hands were sitting in one of the rows, all looking pointedly forward or down at the floor.

Leia sat down beside Luke and pulled her shawl over her shoulder.

"Everything okay?" he whispered as she folded the wrap and tucked it carefully in her lap.

Leia's teeth ground together as she contemplated her answer. Han slid into the place beside her, his expression stony and unreadable.

"Fine," she returned, mimicking Han's detached stance.

"Good evening, everyone. Thanks for coming to this meeting." The speaker was the owner of the general store, the first man she'd met when arriving in Mount Eisley.

"That's Jan Dodonna. He owns the General Store and he's kinda the mayor," Luke explained into Leia's ear. She nodded absently as Mr. Dodonna continued.

"We all know why this meeting's been called: we need to find a solution to the rash of cattle rustlings that's broken out in our county."

"That's right. Now, I think the smart thing to do would be to get a rough estimate of the amount of cattle that are missing," Rieekan suggested. There was a general rumble of agreement through the room. The sheriff nodded and took out a small ledger. "Antilles? How many have you lost?" he asked, noting something in the ledger with a grease pencil.

"Seventy-five, Sheriff," replied a dark haired man on the opposite side of the room.

"What about you, Clearwater?"

They went through the room like that, and Leia mentally added the figures as they went. The count was over six hundred by the time they got to Han.

"Solo, you said you were missing eighty-five?"

"Yessir," Han replied.

The door banged open and everyone turned to see who'd walked in. Six large men filed in and sat down in the row beside Tarkin.

"That brings us to you, Tarkin. How many have you lost?"

"Oh, ah...well, I don't have an exact count," Tarkin fumbled. His ranch hands shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"You _have_ had cattle rustled, haven't you, Tarkin?" Someone stood up on the other side of the room and started slowly stalking around the room toward Tarkin. The man was her father's age, with a bright shock of straight red-gold hair tucked under his wide-brimmed felt hat.

"That's Crix Madine. He 'n his wife been ranching these parts for years. He was the first one the rustlers hit. Folks say that he and his hands have been patrolling the perimeter of his land day and night with shot guns," Luke whispered.

"I'm sure we have," Tarkin asserted. "Why would my ranch be the only one spared?"

"Would it perhaps be 'cause some 'a your boys run with the Empire Gang?" Madine asked, facing ominously toward the front of the room, staring at Tarkin and his hands.

"I assure you, I don't know what you're talking about."

"It wouldn't be a stretch for me to believe, either," Mr. Antilles answered. Several of his men chorused his response.

Spoken agreements spread through the room, and suddenly, there was a ring forming around Tarkin and his farm hands. Many people in the room were standing, and the tension was palpable. Han stood and motioned Leia to slide to the outside of the bench, away from growing mob.

"I'd like to see you prove that," one of Tarkin's men growled.

"Maybe I will," someone returned. The door banged open again.

"Vader's horse has been spotted just north of town!"

There was the unmistakable sound of knuckles hitting jaw, and the circle exploded in a fist fight.

Leia didn't have a very clear view, and she was mostly isolated from the physical confrontation at the beginning. Women and their children pushed toward the outer edge of the circle and ran to the door. Leia wasn't sure what to do or where to go. If she stayed, she'd be in danger, but if she left...where would she go? She couldn't pick out Han's team and wagon in the dark, not with all the other identical rigs sitting out in the street. How would she meet up with him? What if the brawling fell out into the street?

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear!" CP cried, reeling backwards when someone fell out of the scuffle and into him. Chewie and Luke came up next to Leia.

"Let's go," Luke hissed, taking Leia's hand and turning toward the door. Someone was thrown from the fighting and the crowd followed, extending the pile of brawling men into their path toward safety.

"He's here! Vader's here!"

"Now we _really_ need to make tracks," Chewie insisted.

"Where?" Luke demanded.

One of the men in the fight pulled out his sidearm and let off a shot through the ceiling. Everyone ducked and moved back a few feet. The sill of a window pressed into Leia's back and gave her an idea.

Leia threw back the curtains of the window nearest to them and pushed it up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Han exclaimed as Leia hiked up her dress and swung a leg out the window.

"Somebody has to save our necks! Into the alley, Cowboy!" Leia ordered, pushing off from the window frame and disappearing from view. Chewie and Han exchanged a glance.

"You heard her. Into the alley," Han repeated, pointing out the window. Luke stepped up help Chewie through the window. "Wonderful girl," Han said through gritted teeth as they helped the tall man through the tiny window. "Either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her!"

Luke rolled his eyes and jumped out behind Chewie. Han ducked a tumbler full of whiskey as it crashed into the wall over his head, and then ducked out.


	17. The Showdown

_AN: Today, we're really getting back to our ANH roots!_

 **Chapter 17**

 **The Show-down**

Ben was right in the middle of the fighting. It was all he could to do to block the fists and elbows that came his way.

Vader was coming. It was time. Time for them to stand once again, face to face, and finish what they'd started all those years ago.

Ben could no longer see Luke and the others. They were on the outside of the fight, safe, for now. Good. The boy was not yet ready to face such an adversary.

Ben brandished his gun and let off a shot toward the ceiling. The sudden drawback of the brawlers was just enough for him to escape the tangle of men.

The air outside the meeting hall was cooler and clearer. There were a few people standing just off the covered walkway.

"Vader. Which way is he?" Ben demanded. One of the women pointed with a shaky finger. Ben checked to make sure all the chambers on his six-shooter were full before snapping the rotating chamber back into place.

Ben adjusted his hat and set off down the street.

00

The alley was small, barely wide enough for a full-grown man. It was a dead end, blocked on one side by the back of a two-story building and on the other side blocked by a tall fence.

"We're trapped!" Luke exclaimed.

"Just hold on a second," Han said, sauntering over to the back of the building. There was a padlocked door off in the corner. Han pulled out his revolver, holding it by the muzzle, and carefully aimed to smash the padlock.

"Wait! We already tried that!" Luke hissed.

"It's too strong," Chewie warned.

"Put that thing away! You're going to get us all killed!" Leia yelled.

"Absolutely, Your Worship. Look, I had everything under control until _you_ led us out here. You know, it's not going to take them long to figure out what happened to us," Han sniped back, holstering his gun and looking for a way out.

"We have to go over the fence," Leia decided.

"That's crazy," Han stated. Shots sounded from the far side of town.

"We have to! Ben's out there by himself!" Luke reminded. Han shook his head.

"Alright. Come here," he said, holding out a hand. It registered, somewhere in the back of his mind, that the first time he held his wife in his arms should _not_ be to throw her blindly over a fence.

He pushed the thought down, though, and wrapped his hands around her waist. With surprising agility, she pulled herself to the top of the fence as soon as he got her high enough to reach. She struggled to get all of her skirts over to the fence, and he reached up to help her get them all on the opposite side. Her fingers dropped from sight and he heard her feet hit the ground a moment later.

Chewie gave Han and then climbed over himself, and the two of them reached their hands back over for Luke.

Suddenly, someone climbed through the window of the meeting house.

"Come on, kid! Hurry!" Han urged through the slats of the fence.

"Luke!" Leia cried, frustrated that she was basically helpless. Luke got one foot over, but the other man grabbed onto his ankle.

"We _really_ don't have time for this right now," Han complained, reaching for his revolver and letting off a wild shot between the slats of the fence. It came nowhere near hitting the man, but it startled him enough that he let go of Luke's leg long enough for the young man to drop to the ground.

"Run!" Chewie ordered, giving Luke a hand off the ground. Han took Leia by the arm and pushed her between him and Chewie. She gathered her skirt and kept up with the much larger man as they hurried away from the alley.

They stopped in a sheltered area just off from the General Store, where empty cracker barrels were waiting to be hauled away by the next freight wagon.

"We made it out," Luke exclaimed, catching his breath. Han and Leia embraced quickly as Chewie ruffled Luke's hair.

"Now, if we can just avoid any more _female_ _advice_ , we ought to be able to get out of here," Han stated. Leia threw her hands up. Gravel shuffled in the direction they'd just come. Han heaved a heavy sigh and drew his gun as he turned.

"No, wait! They'll hear!" Leia hissed in warning as he fired a round toward the man that had followed them out the window and over the fence. He ducked behind a similar stack of barrels. "I don't know what the hell you think you're accomplishing by just _pissing him off_ and _not actually hitting him_ , but from now on, you do as I tell you. Okay?"

Han stood back, a stunned look on his face.

"Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight! I haven't worked this hard all my life to take orders from some little society lady, got it? I take orders from one person—me."

"It's a wonder you've survived this long," Leia mumbled sarcastically, pushing him out of the way and peeking out around their protective cover. Han looked to Luke and Chewie. Leia started to steal toward the crowd growing at the end of town.

"Marriage _ain't_ supposed to work like this," he grumbled, but waved for the others to follow him after her.

00

Vader was waiting at the end of town, all alone, and dressed all in back. Just the two of them.

"I've been waiting for you, Ben. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete," the man growled. His voice was deep, dark, and sinister.

Ben's hands moved to the hilt of his six-shooter, and Vader mimicked the motion.

"I have learned many things in the past years," Vader warned. "I am a master marksman." He drew quickly and aimed at Ben.

"A master criminal, I am sure," Ben retorted evenly, slowly removing his weapon from its holster.

"You're weak, old man," Vader taunted.

"You can't win, Vader. All the lawmen in this state are after you and your gang. They know that it's you behind these rustlings, and they won't rest until you're gone," Ben said, lining up his shot.

"You're foolish," Vader drawled.

The two men stared each other down and squeezed off their shots at the same moment.

 _AN: And tomorrow...we'll find out if their bullets find their mark, and we'll have the escape from the Death Star-er, Mount Eisley._


	18. The Escape

**Chapter 18**

 **The Escape**

The shots echoed down the street, and Luke cried out as he saw Ben crumble to the ground. Blood poured into the street from the wound on his chest. Vader hobbled forward a bit, limping from Ben's shot that had found its mark in his outlaw stumbled down the alley nearby.

"No, kid!" Han hissed, grabbing Luke by the arms before he ran out into the street.

"It's too late. Ben's gone," Leia soothed. Luke pulled free and ran to Ben. He took the man's Stetson from where it had landed in the street.

"Let's go. We need to get outta here," Han decided, sneaking back along the building a few feet before standing. "Let's hope the sheriff got the gang under control, or we ain't gonna be able to get to the wagon."

They cut along the backs of buildings, hurrying through the growing darkness back to Han's rig. The alley between the hotel and the land office was deserted, so they slipped between the buildings and Chewie peeked out into the street.

Everything was deathly calm, not a living soul in sight.

"Wasn't there a fist fight happening here not twenty minutes ago?" Leia whispered.

"This is eerie," Luke agreed.

"Let's go. I got a bad feelin' about this," Han muttered, hurrying their little ragtag group across the street. Chewie helped Leia up to the bench seat as Han untied the team. He pointed the horses toward the ranch and they creeped along slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. The only noise was the distant sounds of the saloon at the far end of town.

"There's a man in the road up ahead," Leia whispered.

"I see 'im. Sentry. You're gonna have to hold the reins. Let 'em run, and try to keep em' on the road," Han replied in a low, quiet voice. "Be ready for some action, fellas," he murmured. Leia heard the sound of guns being cocked.

Han slipped his gloves off and Leia pulled them on, leaving her palms facing upwards to catch the reins when he thrust them to her.

Just before they reached the man, Han clicked to the horses to increase their speed. The sentry directed his horse toward them, and in the last bit of daylight, Leia saw him unholster a gun. Han signalled the horses again and kept his eyes on the man.

"Hold up! We're looking for the Skywalker boy!" the sentry called. Han urged the horses into a full on run and passed the reins to Leia. The man on the horse was able to easily match speed with them, and he was soon joined by others. Leia flinched as a shot rang from behind her. She could only hope that it was aimed at the gang members, and not at them.

"They're coming in too fast!" Luke cried.

"Go, go!" Han urged Leia, turning to get a clear shot. More shots. She kept her attention forwards, though, on the horses. They were both running at a full on gallop and the buckboard was rattling and shaking beneath them. Leia braced her feet against the dashboard and mentally thanked Han for giving her his gloves: the thick straps of the reins were cutting into her palms, even through the thick leather.

The leather and metal that held the horses to the wagon swung and clanked noisily just in front of the dashboard, and Leia looked down at the pins and eyes holding the rattle-trap rig to the team.

"It's okay. We'll hold together," Han soothed, seeing her nervous glances down at the rigging.

"One more on the right!" Chewie called. Another shot sounded from the back of the buckboard, spooking the horses even more. Han let out a wild yell as one of his shots hit home. The horses were out of her control, now. Large arms came down around her and huge hands closed over the reins just forward of hers. Chewie.

"Got 'im! I got him!" Luke called.

"Great, kid. Don't get cocky!" Han warned, feet braced against the dashboard.

"There are still two more of them out there!" Leia exclaimed, chancing a glance over her shoulder. Leia jumped as Han's gun discharged near her ear. More gunfire was exchanged, but soon, she could no longer make out the sound of hoofbeats behind them.

"We did it!" Luke yelled from behind her. Chewie pulled tightly on the horses, and they slowed to a stop, prancing nervously, heads flicking back and forth. Chewie jumped down out of the wagon and clapped Leia strongly on the shoulder.

"We did it! I drove a team," she stated incredulously.

"You sure did, little one," the man confirmed, carefully approaching the horses and starting to calm them.

Beside her, Han stood and removed his hat, looking up into the sky and releasing a relieved sigh before shaking his sweat-drenched hair loose and firmly setting the Stetson back on his head.

"CP, it's safe to come out now," Luke said, his tone dripping with annoyance. Leia and Han turned back just in time to see CP crawling nervously out from underneath their bench seat.

"Oh, dear. Is the shooting over?" he asked nervously.

"Remind me never to let you ride the night watch by yourself," Han said.

Chewie finally had the horses calm enough to finish the drive home, and Han urged the team onward. The hands rehashed the escapade in the back of the wagon, and Leia settled beside Han, ready for another silent ride.

"Not a bad gunfight, huh? You know, sometimes, I even amaze myself," Han stated.

"That doesn't sound too hard," Leia bit. "Besides, they let us go. It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape."

"Easy? You call _that_ easy?" Han exclaimed, giving her a mystified look.

"They'll be out tonight. In the pasture," she insisted, not quite sure why she was so confident, hoping that it wasn't just a strong, inexplicable desire to see him proven wrong.

"Not on my watch, Sweetheart," Han assured her. They arrived back at the ranch soon after, and Luke was at her side of the wagon to help her down as soon as Han stopped just outside the barn.

"I'm very sorry about Ben," Leia said as they left the barn.

"I just can't believe he's gone," Luke murmured. Leia put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"There wasn't anything you could have done," Leia soothed. "Come, we'll have some tea. It'll help you sleep." She took his arm and led him into the dark cabin. Leia fumbled for the matches and lit the kerosene lamp, working quickly in the flickering lamplight to prepare the tea.

"Thanks," Luke mumbled when she set the seaming mug in front of him.

"Were you hurt in the gunfight? Any of you?"

"I wasn't. Chewie doesn't get hurt. CP was under the bench the entire time. Looked like Han might'a hurt his wrist, tryin' to hang on and shoot at the same time. He probably won't say nothin' about it, though," Luke offered.

"Of course he won't. I'm his _wife_ for pity's sake. Heaven forbid he come to me looking like he's not made of stone," Leia grumbled, sipping her tea and holding back a wince at the temperature.

"It might be nothing," Luke excused. "'Sides that, it's just a normal thing that happens out here. Things hurt for a few days, you grit your teeth and get through it. Not like there's much you could do for him."

Objectively, Leia knew Luke was correct. Medically, there was little one could do for a strained muscle other than wrap it with a bandage to decrease use, and Han would hardly sit still for something that would hinder his productivity. And he certainly wasn't about to sit around being vulnerable for her, no sir. Han was far too busy being tough and manly to open himself up a fraction of an inch. She sighed into her cup.

"Han is quite the... _vigilante_ ," Leia stated. "I don't think he cares about _anything_ other than keeping those cattle safe."

"He's worried about his livelihood. Losing those cattle'll mean losing the ranch, and losin' that means we'll all be homeless. Han cares. He just might not show it the way you're expectin'," Luke explained.

"I know. I just worry that he'll take too big a risk in one of these altercations and actually hurt himself...or worse. What happens then?"

"Trust me, Leia. Han knows what he's doing. He cares about this...arrangement you have, and he knows what he's doin' out there. And...I care, too. I'll do what it takes, too." The young man picked up the weathered hat and looked at it contemplatively. Leia knew in that instance that he wasn't lying: he knew exactly what he was getting into, promising to fight the good fight out on the unforgiving prairie.

 _AN: I am working on the Pre-ESB chapters of the sequel to this story, and I hope you guys like almost-kissing because there's lots._


	19. Faith in the Man

**Chapter 19**

 **Faith in the Man**

Han stopped short of the cabin door. Luke and Leia were talking inside. He was a bit bothered by how easily the pair had made friends. Admittedly, he was feeling a little jealous of the kid for being able to talk to Leia like he did. Han wasn't sure what made their relationship so effortless. Nearly every night, Han had come back from evening chores to find the two sitting at the table, talking like old friends. It had taken most of his self control not to put the kid on night watch all the time just so they couldn't be together.

"Han is quite the... _vigilante_ ," he heard Leia say. "I don't think he cares about _anything_ other than keeping those cattle safe." The remark stirred the adrenaline that was draining from his veins. She didn't think he was worth his salt. Well, Han could tell her a few things...march right in there and lay things on the line.

"He's worried about his livelihood. Losing those cattle'll mean losing the ranch, and losin' that means we'll all be homeless. Han cares. He just might not show it the way you're expectin'," Luke explained. The kid, the voice of reason. _Great._

"I know. I just worry that he'll take too big a risk in one of these altercations and actually hurt himself...or worse. What happens then?" Did she have _no_ confidence in his abilities? No confidence in his mind, that he'd choose his battles carefully?

"Trust me, Leia. Han knows what he's doing. He cares about this...arrangement you have, and he knows what he's doin' out there. And...I care, too. I'll do what it takes too."

Well, that was just great. It had been enough when Luke was just best friends with Leia...now...was there something going on between the two of them? Han knew it was unlikely that he and his wife would ever get beyond the point of mutual respect and understanding. But would he have to live knowing the fact that she wished she could be with Luke, instead?

Han pulled the door open and entered more raucously than necessary.

"Everything alright in the pasture?" Luke asked. Han nodded, taking the steaming cup of something that Leia offered.

"Chewie's takin' the night. I got the morning," Han answered. "You… do what you hafta. I'll understand if you gotta go find Ben's kin, or somethin'."

"Thanks."

"Did you hurt your arm tonight?" Leia demanded.

"It's fine," he answered quickly, wondering how on earth she figured that out. The kid gave him an apologetic glance and looked guiltily down into his tea. _Land-sakes, kid, can't you keep out of this for five minutes?_

"Han, it's not going to heal properly if you don't care for it," she scolded.

"Nothin's wrong with it," Han excused gruffly, flexing his fingers to prove to her that his hand was functional. He swallowed the discomfort when he moved his thumb. It'd be fine in a day or two. The last thing he needed was her fussing over him.

"I'm only trying to help."

"I don't _need_ help," Han shot back, looking down into his coffee so he wouldn't have to see her reaction to his blatant dismissal. A moment later, he heard her pick up the basket for stove wood and walk briskly out of the cabin, the door shutting sharply behind her.

00

"She is...somethin' _else_ , kid." Han expelled an exasperated breath and shook his head.

Luke flicked his eyes to his boss. The man was hunched over across the table, looking tired and dejected.

"Whaddya think? Rancher 'n a girl like her...will we ever be able to make it work?" Han asked.

They were similar in more ways than they realized: stubbornness, resilience, and an unwillingness to accept defeat. Those traits, he was sure, would get them though.

"Yes," Luke replied, "I think you will."

 _AN: This chapter is short, but tomorrow's will be much longer, and Leia gets to hold the shotgun! Then...Thursday is our final chapter :(_


	20. The Battle of Yavin Ridge

_AN: Shout out to madame-alexandra for teaching me about guns. I apologize to Leia for what that knowledge does to her :/ On with the battle!_

 **Chapter 20**

 **The Battle of Yavin Ridge**

The breeze blew gently, whistling through the tall grasses. Rusty shifted at Luke's side, sniffing the air. Luke had come down around midnight, unable to sleep himself and knowing Chewie'd been riding nights all week.

"It's alright, pal. We'll be okay. Han doesn't think they'll be back," Luke soothed, ruffling the dog's brown head. The cattle were resting peacefully just beyond the small fire that Luke had lit in the corner of the pasture. His horse stood, grazing, just behind the log Luke was leaning on.

Rusty whined again, dropping his head into his master's lap.

"It's just the wind," Luke assured, searching through the darkness. The cattle were moving just beyond the circle of light thrown by the fire. It wasn't uncommon for the cattle to shift around in the night, but Luke was wary of any movement. He lit his lantern with a twig pulled from the fire and stood slowly, walking around his fire through the herd with Rusty walking along at his feet.

And then he heard it: a low crooning call from the far end of the pasture. The cattle recognized it as the call that promised food, and were plodding slowly toward the opposite end of the pasture.

"Rusty, go get Han. Go, boy, go!" The dog took off toward the cabin; Luke drew his weapon and made for his horse.

00

Mad barking at the door woke Leia with a jolt. She heard Han jump to his feet from his pallet over near the wall, and she fumbled to light the lamp. The door opened and Rusty rushed in, barking and growling. The sound of a gunshot echoed from the south pasture.

"Hell no," Han muttered, yanking his clothes on. " _Hell_ no," he repeated. Leia scrambled out of bed, not caring that she was only in her thin summer nightgown and corset.

"Are you going out there?" she asked warily. He turned and looked at her like she was crazy.

"That's my best friend down in that pasture. You can bet I'm goin' out there," he replied, buckling his holster and tying his gun down. "Take the twelve gauge and ride with CP. We'll need all the help we can get, with Ben not here." With that, he was running to the barn, Rusty running along behind.

Leia threw her nightgown off and pulled her dress on over her corset, foregoing petticoats. She put her shoes on without socks and pulled the shotgun down from its brackets over the door. There was a chill in the air that sent an involuntary shiver down her back. Fumbling in the flickering lamplight, she found the first jacket-like garment she could get her hands on and raced to the barn.

Millennium and his rider thundered out of the barn as she approached, blazing a trail toward the pasture. CP was fumbling with his saddle and started when he looked up and saw Leia brandishing the 12-gauge.

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear," he mumbled, finishing his work and mounting. He put his hand out for Leia and she pulled herself up behind him, tightening her arms around his waist and holding the shotgun across his lap.

The ride was uncomfortable and jerky, and she was terrified the gun was going to discharge even though it wasn't cocked. They came up on the ridge overlooking the pasture.

"I can't see a thing!"

"It is rather dark," CP responded.

"Don't go down there!" someone called to them softly from off to the right.

"Chewie? Is that you?" CP whispered rather loudly.

"Yeah! Now, hush up and get down here!" Leia nearly jumped out of her skin. She squinted and made out Chewie's horse off to the side.

"Where are you?" she hissed back, sliding rather ungracefully off CP's mount and stumbling towards his voice. His hand brought her down to lay on her stomach beside him.

"Real cloudy tonight. That ain't good." The sounds of distressed cattle rose up the hillside, and a stray shot from far off in the distance.

"There's hope for us, right?" Leia asked. CP flopped down onto his belly on her other side.

"I think so. Han's still out there," Chewie assured.

"What on earth happened?" CP asked.

"The kid came to relieve me, and I rode the fence back up, to check. Was right here when I heard 'em callin' the cattle, and when Rusty started barkin'. I was tryin' to see what was goin' on before rushing down. I couldn't stop Han from barrellin' in," Chewie informed her.

The clouds drifted out from in front of the moon and the whole pasture was lit up.

Luke was riding in front of the few remaining cattle in the close corner of the pasture, keeping them calm, waiting for his moment to make a move.

"I can't see Han," she whispered, nervousness collecting in her chest. The sound of gunfire came from the river and Leia's heart clenched.

"I'm going down there. Hard telling how many he's up against...if he's still out there," Chewie stated, jumping up and running for his horse.

"Han's...he's... _gone?_ " she questioned, her breath quickening. A widow almost before she was a wife…

"Well, I suppose they wouldn't be shooting if he was dead," CP replied, sitting up and wringing his hands nervously. Her head spun, but there was sense in the man's words.

A horse and rider approached, seeking the high ground of the ridge to look out over the pasture. The rider was dressed in dark clothing with a hat and kerchief hiding his face. He brought his horse to a stop and looked over the pasture, laughing a low, sinister laugh. The moon became especially bright and he removed his Stetson and bandana.

"Tarkin. I should have noticed your foul stench on the wind," Leia spat, standing and aiming the shotgun at him.

"Well, if it isn't our little Eastern whore," Tarkin drawled, his horse dancing back and forth.

"Get off this ranch and don't come back," Leia warned. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"Oh, dear," CP mumbled, cowering in the dark behind her.

"Get your pistol out right now," Leia whispered to him through clenched teeth.

"Miss, I don't have any-ooff-yes, Miss." CP drew his weapon and held it aloft, gingerly touching his ribs where Lea's elbow had connected.

"You don't have the stomach to shoot me," Tarkin dared. Leia held the shotgun tightly and planted her feet like her father had taught her, and then she let him have it with both barrels.

Her right eye stung, and she knew it would be bruised and sore come morning. The gun kicked back much stronger and harder than she expected, sending her reeling backwards into CP's shaking frame. They both fell flat on the ground, CP sputtering in protest or fright, she wasn't sure which.

The shot hadn't come anywhere close to Tarkin, but he didn't stay around for her to try again. Leia picked herself up from the ground, rolling her aching shoulder. She gingerly touched her eye, knowing that it'd be swollen and bruised very soon. Tarkin rode off down the hillside, eventually blending in with the darkness.

"I don't know how to reload this," Leia said, passing it to CP along with the little leather pouch of ammunition. He passed it back a few moments later.

"I think that's right. On the other hand, it might be wrong…"

Leia rolled her eyes and gingerly took the weapon back. "What are we supposed to do now?" she asked, a slightly frantic tone edging into her voice.

"We'll sit here and wait for something to happen," CP suggested, crawling further toward the crest of the hill flat on his belly.

Leia followed, knowing she'd be washing grass stains from her dress for weeks. She ran a hand over the jacket she'd pulled on, trying to identify it. By the feel of the fabric and the size, she guessed it was the flannel shirt of Han's that had been hanging on the hook with her apron and his hat. Her chest kept tightening beneath her dress.

"Look! There's someone sneaking along the fencerow," CP whispered. "Oh, dear. Poor Luke...he's done for!"

"We have to do something!" Leia replied. "We have to...use this!" she decided, awkwardly nudging the 12-gauge that was between them in the dirt.

"Can you get a shot off at him?" CP asked, wringing his hands.

" I'm afraid I'd hit Luke or his horse or the cattle," Leia replied. "I'll have to wait for them to get closer. Don't you have a pistol? _You_ shoot them!" she demanded.

"I'm out of charges," CP returned.

"You haven't shot once the entire time we've been out here!" Leia returned. "How long have you been out?"

"Since I bought the weapon, I'm afraid."

"What?!" she hissed.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss!"

Their attention was grabbed by the wild yell of a rustler as he attempted to frighten the cattle into a stampede. Luke whirled toward the man and knocked him from his mount with a perfectly-aimed shot. The cattle, though, were frightened and ran off into the pasture.

Leia's breath quickened again, hoping that Luke wouldn't be hurt. A few rustlers rode up along the opposite side of the fence from the direction of the river, and Leia realized with a sinking feeling that she hadn't heard shots from there in nearly a minute. _Oh, no. Not_ both _of them…_

Gripping the 12-gauge, she watched Luke ride along the fence, exchanging shots with the rustlers. Another came up behind the first and Leia's heart pounded. First Ben, then Han, and now Luke, too…

A shot came from the other end of the pasture, and they saw one of the rustlers fall from his horse just as the clouds covered the moon.

"What's going on?" CP asked.

"I don't know!" Leia replied, each unidentifiable gunshot from below made her heart pound. Hoofbeats approached, and Leia recognized Chewie's voice.

"I can't find Han! Is he down there?" the foreman hollered, jumping down from his horse and joining Leia and CP looking out over the pasture.

"Well, um, unfortunately, sir, uh, no. Only Luke, and that was before it grew dark. I do hope..." CP moaned to complete the thought as the shooting continued. Nausea swirled in Leia's stomach at the possibility of losing the them...Luke, her best friend...Han, her _husband_ …

"This ain't good," Chewie mumbled, his voice full of dread. A wild yell echoed around the hillside and they all looked back into the inky blackness, trying to make out _something, anything_.

The clouds cleared, and framed in the moonlight was Han, sitting astride Millennium with his revolver drawn.

A wave of relief overtook her, and she drew in a breath so deep her ribs strained against their whale-bone restraints.

Han rode quickly toward Luke and the rustlers, exchanging gunfire. Leia heard someone ride up behind her and she rolled quickly, dragging the shotgun across her chest.

"Woah, woah, it's Sheriff Rieekan! Don't shoot!" the rider called, stepping forward to make himself and his posse seen.

"Sheriff! Thank goodness!" she cried, pushing the gun into the grass.

"It's the Empire Gang," Chewie explained.

Another loud yell echoed across the land and they all turned back to the field. The few remaining rustlers abandoned the fight and lit out of the pasture, following whoever had sounded the call to retreat.

"Come on, fellas! We got a gang to catch," Rieekan said, urging his horse onward. The other men in the posse thundered along behind, trailing along behind the gang.

"Take Miss Leia back to the cabin," Chewie directed CP. "Shoot anyone besides us or the sheriff," he added, swinging up onto his steed and racing down to get Han and Luke to join the posse.

 _AN: One day more..._


	21. Bum Wrists and Black Eyes

_And here we are , at the very end! Thank you one more time to the amazing GCFB, my wonderful betas, and every one of you who've reviewed. This has been a fun ride, and I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have!_

 **Chapter 21**

 **Bum Wrists and Black Eyes**

Leia made CP sit facing the door with the rifle across his knees, for all the good it would do them if someone came back. Leia made coffee and paced the floor, hoping her mother would forgive her for succumbing to such an urge-as if her pacing would be what her mother would worry about as Leia paraded around wearing no petticoats and a man's shirt, her hair all a mess and with one blackened eye.

Horses rode into the barnyard and CP jumped, almost dropping the shotgun.

Leia flung the door open, and was immediately gathered into an exuberant hug from Luke.

"We got 'em! Right outside of Tarkin's land. The Sheriff and his deputies rounded 'em up and are takin' them to jail," Luke exclaimed, pulling Leia out into the barnyard with him.

Han looked dusty and exhausted, but overjoyed.

"Showed 'em, Sweetheart. Tarkin escaped, the slippery varmint, but someone'll get 'im before long, mark my words."

Leia smiled.

"I've got coffee on. Wash up and come inside."

Luke, Han, and Chewie were still rehashing the battle five minutes later as they drank coffee cup after cup.

"What about the cattle?" CP asked when it finally quieted. Han's expression darkened a bit.

"Didn't find 'em right off. I wanted to search Tarkin's property, but Rieekan insisted on bein' the one to do it. Hopefully we'll hear soon, one way or the other."

"Rieekan'll find em," Chewie promised. A wave of exhaustion fell over the group and they fell into sleepy silence.

"You still willing to wrap this?" Han asked, carefully presenting his wrist to Leia. It looked red and a bit swollen.

"Of course. Roll up your sleeve," she directed, taking a strip of cloth from her trunk. She positioned his hand carefully, her delicate fingers smoothing over his rough skin. Leia realized this was the first time she'd ever touched him. His hands felt much nicer than she expected, the rough skin of his palms presenting a pleasant contrast to hers. Swallowing hard, Leia forced her mind to return to her work.

Leia looked around the room in a desperate effort to find something to look at besides Han's muscular arm as she wound the bandage. Luke snored loudly from across table. Chewie was tipped back in his chair, almost asleep. CP's eyes were drooping slowly, lower and lower. Leia glanced back down at her husband's arm and threaded the cloth carefully around his thumb a few times.

"That black eye's quite becomin'. You'll make a ranch wife yet," Han teased.

"I shot at Tarkin. I missed by...a distance. And you were correct in instructing me not to fire that gun," she admitted, not meeting his eye.

"Quite the kick. We'll learn you up real good on it, though. You can miss on purpose next time." He winked at her.

Leia smiled and winced as her eye throbbed. She tied the bandage off and checked to make sure it was secure.

"There. That should hold for the day," she promised.

"Much obliged. Now you sit. I got somethin' that'll fix that eye right up." He stood and Leia slowly took his place, unsure of what he was up to.

He rummaged around in the storage corner for a moment before returning with a small, raw potato. Pulling out his knife, he peeled the skin off, cutting the potato up into tiny pieces.

"Oh, Cowboy, how nice of you to make breakfast. Is that supposed to help my eye, a good meal?" she teased, giving him a smile.

"Hey. I can fry up a mean pan 'a potatoes," he promised, returning her playful smile. "I've had plenty of black eyes, and this'll do the trick, I promise," he assured her, a light smile coming over his face.

"Don't tell me I have to eat that," she said, looking at the starchy pulp in his palm.

"No, you just put it on your eye for a few minutes. Lean your head back."

Leia looked at him for a moment, trying to decide if he was fooling her. She finally decided he was on the level, and Leia did as he asked, laying her head back and closing her eyes. The potato dropped onto her eye, and Leia flinched. His nearness, even with her eyes closed, made her shiver.

"There. Just let that sit for a few minutes and it'll feel heaps better."

"If you say so," she replied warily.

"Where did you learn to shoot?" Han asked curiously, wiping his hands and knife on his pant leg to clean the potato from them.

"My father always had grand hopes about bringing me along to the hunts. He taught me to shoot clay pigeons," Leia explained, squinching up the muscles in her face to keep the mash in place. "My mother ended it very quickly."

"I can bet. Ain't what you want your little princess doin' after school every day," he teased.

"Precisely. I can't believe this is supposed to work," she muttered, running the back of her palm over her damp cheek.

"Is that feelin' better?" he asked, tapping her cheek gently with his finger. Leia grit her teeth against the shiver that was working down her spine.

"Yes," Leia replied, shocked to find that her response was true. He helped her wipe the potato from her face and then dabbed at the wound with a cloth dipped in cool water. It was strange to experience this new side of Han, a man who was normally so rough and commanding being gentle and careful. The chill of the cloth on his cheek combined with his warm breath on her chin as he dabbed away the last of the starchy residue made it impossible to hold back the shiver.

"Better?" he asked, his face even and close to hers.

"Much. Thank you," she breathed, shivering again.

"You cold? I always thought that flannel was real warm," Han commented.

"I'm fine. It is quite warm. It kept me cozy on the ridge," she murmured. Han rubbed her arms briskly for a moment and Leia leaned toward him, craving the warm, intimate contact.

The noise started out as a faint rumbling sound.

"What in tarnation…" Chewie began, snuffling and sitting up suddenly.

It grew nearer and suddenly Han heard it too, a look of faint hope on his face. They all hurried to the door.

In the first touches of morning light, they could see a herd of cattle approaching, corralled by several men on horseback. Han stepped slowly toward them, looking on in wonderment as they paraded past. Leia blew out a disbelieving breath as she came up to Han's side. The cattle all bore Han's brand. One man rode up to them.

"You missin' some cattle?" Rieekan called, giving a grand smile. Han let out a wild yell and swung Leia around in a strong hug. He kept her tucked against his side as the cattle herded past.

"I can't believe it," he murmured. Luke clapped Han on the back and pulled them both into a tight embrace, laughing happily.

"Found 'em right where you said, just on the other side of the ridge," Rieekan explained.

"Let's get 'em into the pasture," Chewie called, heading toward the barn to saddle up. Luke and CP followed closely behind.

"Would you like to walk the property with me this morning? Haven't had a chance to show you around like I been meanin' to," Han offered.

"Thank you. I'd like that," Leia replied. Han nodded with happy finality, firmly placing his Stetson hat on his head and walking proudly toward the barn.

 _There's hope for us yet._

 _AN: And that's a wrap! Coming soon: "The Empire Gang Strikes Back," and a little bit of Pre-ESB fluffiness if you ask nicely ;)_


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